My deepest thanks to the accusers most, and then to the other witnesses, the prosecution, judge, investigators, and certainly to the jury, for believing the survivors. Normally I’m not a fan of the news media, but in this case, they were exemplary in sticking to facts, protecting the accusers names, and bringing the facts to the public with dignity and respect for the victims. To be honest, I did not expect that last part; nor did I dare too hope too hard for the conviction we finally, thankfully, received. The public Twitter feed on the #sandusky hashtag was 99% amazing support for victims of child sexual abuse, and that helped me a lot, just to see so many outraged and demanding justice for victims. I hope this conversation and support continues in the public eye at last, rather than fading back into hushed obscurity as it did after the same horrors were first reported in the Catholic Church. To my fellow survivors: we are stronger than we know. Many of us are long past the statute of limitations and can’t ever have this kind of justice for ourselves, but we can take this conviction to heart as the harbinger of change that it will be; for us, for those who suffer now as children, and for those who will never be harmed if we work to make those changes a reality.

(Originally posted as a comment on the Good Men Project, here: Viral Thank You Letter to the Sandusky Survivors)