Ocasio-Cortez: I’m a survivor of sex assault
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Prominent US lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has revealed that she is a survivor of sexual assault, in an emotional video message on Monday in which she also described fearing for her life during the deadly storming of the US Capitol on Jan. 6.
The New York congresswoman drew parallels between the lawmakers seeking to “move on” from the Capitol riot and the denial tactics used by abusers.
“They’re trying to tell us to move on without any accountability, without any truth-telling, or without confronting the extreme damage, loss of life, trauma,” she said during her Instagram Live, as she accused Republicans of encouraging violence in the lead-up to the riot.
“I’m a survivor of sexual assault and I haven’t told many people that in my life,” she told her followers. “As a survivor, I struggle with the idea of being believed.”
She gave no further details about the assault, or when it took place.
Ocasio-Cortez’s online remarks – viewed more than 350,000 times – drew widespread praise for bravery and honesty.