Teen Refuses To Be Silent About Alleged Sexual Assault
INSIDE EDITION speaks to one teen who is refuses to stay silent after she says she was sexually assaulted, and she's not the only young woman to do so.
She's just 16, but she could give adults a lesson in courage.
This high school junior says she was raped at a friend's house after being given a spiked drink.
Now, Jada is coming forward to speak publicly about the nightmare.
INSIDE EDITION's April Woodard asked, "What were your emotions?"
"All types of emotions. Mostly anger. I was frustrated, disgusted because the people...the whole situation is just disgusting," replied Jada.
Jada says she had passed out due to the spiked punch she was given. A friend later showed her a photo that had been posted online by someone at the party. Jada showed the image to her mother.
Woodard asked, "What did she say?"
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Jada replied, "She cried. And then we went to the police."
Some internet trolls even mocked Jada, posting disturbing photos of themselves in what they called the "Jada pose."
Family advocate Quanell X said, "She was raped. Then, the cyberbullying on top of that takes further of the pouring of salt in an open wound."
Jada is not the only courageous teen to reject the anonymity normally associated with rape victims.
Eighteen-year-old Anna is telling The New York Times she was raped by a football player two weeks after starting her freshman year at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in upstate New York. She was devastated that the player was cleared after a brief investigation by the school.
Anna said, "When I read the hearing, I was like, they already have their minds made up."
Attorney Matthew Galluzzo is an expert in rape investigations. He has only praise for these two teens who refuse to stay in the shadows.
Galluzzo told INSIDE EDITION, "The process is very intimidating. It's very courageous. Those are very brave young women to do that."