Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 1203

Tonight's special guest is Geri Lynn Weinstein Matthews, MSW, LCSW, from New Mexico who's produced and co-directed "Justice Denied," a newly released 30 minute documentary that takes male sexual assault in the military out of the shadows. Geri Lynn will be joined by her husband, Michael Matthews, a survivor of both child abuse and sexual assault in the military. Geri Lynn was sexually assaulted herself, when she attended college as an undergraduate. Michael says, "I was 19 years old in the United States Air Force, the year was 1974, and I thought I was the only one." He'd been knocked unconscious and gang raped by his fellow airmen. "I kept my secret bottled up for 30 years, never telling a single solitary soul." One evening, 20 years into their marriage, he mustered up the courage to tell his supportive wife, Geri Lynn, who said "together we will get through this." The film they've created, "Justice Denied," is a 30 minute documentary that takes male sexual assault in the military out of the shadows. It's been screened at the Pentagon and US Senate, is now being used a an educational tool on military installations. Sexual assault involves power, control and domination. Statistics suggest that 90% of all males who are raped try to commit suicide at least twice in a lifetime. When a closed systems such as the military does not validate the rape survivor, men and women, the perpetrator gets to continue their criminal behavior without consequence. In being solution focused, Geri and Michael support a new bill, HR 1593, The Stop Act introduced by Congresswoman Jackie Speier. Her bill is all inclusive and stresses civilian oversight, unlike other watered-down versions currently on the table.