Photo: I am Jane Doe from the Prince Albert Sexual Assault Centre Facebook page
The Prince Albert Sexual Assault Centre, a non-profit community organization that provides free counselling and support for survivors of sexual and interpersonal violence, is standing in solidarity with the survivor of the Cornell University sexual assault case. The centre serves Prince Albert, Meadow Lake, La Ronge and surrounding areas.
“When we saw it posted on social media, and we started to get people reaching out to us on a personal level to talk about the case, we realized that this went far beyond Cornell University,” said Amanda Lofstrom, a sexual assault counsellor with the Prince Albert Sexual Assault Centre. “This really struck a chord with us here in the north.”
In September, a former Cornell University student, who used the pseudonym “Jane Doe”, filed a civil lawsuit against seven fraternity members, alleging they drugged and sexually assaulted her at a fraternity house in October 2024.
Many have tried to determine the plaintiffs name to reveal her publicly.
An online movement “I am Jane Doe” became a viral solidarity campaign to support the anonymity and privacy of the plaintiff.
“We wanted to highlight this particular case to show people that no matter who they are or what demographic they are, that we are here to support,” said Lofstrom. “No survivor should feel like their anonymity is at risk.”
Lofstrom pointed out that when a person has been sexually violated, their sense of control and self-worth is impacted.
“One thing that our justice system allows is for them to be anonymous when they report, (to) have a little bit more of a layer of protection,” said Lofstrom. “Quite often (the assault) is by somebody they know.”
The centre works with all different types and ages of people.
“It is such as epidemic. Sexual violence touches people of every single demographic,” said Lofstrom. “It isn’t our marginalized, it isn’t just people who are houseless. It is extremely affluent people; it is every race in every colour of skin.”
There has been a lot of discussion around whether the plaintiff gave consent and Lofstrom said there is a misconception about consent.
“A lot of times people think, I was really drunk, I was intoxicated, I was high, therefore I was asking for it,” said Lofstrom. “If you are under the influence of any substance, you’re not able to give consent; the responsibility is placed on the offender.”
She explains that in committed relationships, like marriage, consent is not automatic and must be given.
“It’s really important for people to understand consent is ongoing,” said Lofstrom. “You might consent to holding hands or kissing, but that doesn’t automatically mean you are consenting to having sexual intercourse with somebody.”
Victims of sexual assault often deal with shame and self blame.
Trauma informed support begins by asking the victim, “what do you need” and walking alongside them.
“We want to go into what can we do to support,” said Lofstrom. “We don’t know the persons life story, they might have come from a traumatic background, have residential schools in their history, they might have immigrated newly.”
Lofstrom wants victims to know they are not alone, and if an individual needs support they can reach out to one of the sexual assault centres across Saskatchewan, one of the mobile crisis units or by calling the Crisis Hotline at 9-8-8.