Survivors' Talk Monday Night at Community College

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Donna Palomba[/caption] If the thought of being sexually assaulted in your home in the middle of the night by a masked intruder sounds incomprehensibly traumatic, imagine if the assault was only the beginning of a yearslong period of shame, abuse and neglect brought on by people whose jobs are to protect you. Shocking details of this incident, which occurred nearly 25 years ago in Waterbury, Connecticut, will be told April 23 in the Robert E. Miller Auditorium at Quinebaug Valley Community College in Danielson. The victim of that attack is Donna Palomba, whose life was tranformed by the resulting experience. Now a prolific activist and founder of Jane Doe No More, a network that connects, educates and empowers survivors of sexual assault, Palomba regularly schedules speakers for public events and connects survivors to needed resources. Palomba's presentation highlights the legal and emotional struggles she faced as a victim who was not taken seriously by the police. She challenges all people to put themselves in the victims' shoes and understand the nightmarish struggles that can play out for years. Punctuating Palomba's real-life drama will be celebrity daughter Dylan Farrow, who stands by a yearslong accusation that her father, actor-director Woody Allen, fondled her when she was 4 years old, when Allen was married to actress Mia Farrow. Widely loved Connecticut author Susan Campbell will round out Monday night's presentations, recounting years of abuse at the hand of her stepfather, which brought her to the brink of suicide. Connecticut investigative journalist Andy Thibault will moderate the discussion, which will encourage fellow survivors in the audience to speak up about their experiences. Palomba said in an interview that the cathartic effect of just talking about these subjects can be life-affirming. Of interest to the general public, Monday night's presentation will intersect with the law at many points, including a review of Palomba's mistreatment by local police, which resulted in a judgment in her favor. A question-and-answer session with the audience will follow the panel discussion. Supplemental security will be provided by Integrated Security Services of Hartford. For more information, please contact English professor Jonathan Andersen at jandersen@qvcc.edu.