After more than 40 years of championing support and advocating for survivors of sexual assault, Mary Ellen Stone, CEO of the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center is retiring. Recently, she spoke with the Renton Reporter during which she reflected on her work, the organization and society’s relationship with sexual assault and those who have survived it.

Stone began working for the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSAR) in 1979, just three years after it was established in Renton. Stone said at that time, there was few resources and supports for survivors of rape and sexual assault, and it was a topic that was scarcely discussed.

Before 1976 when local hospitals received federal funding for rape investigation kits, Stone said there was very little hope of justice for victims and accountability for their rapists. Police did not seem interested in investigating these crimes and survivors were scared to report them because of the stigma and harmful stereotypes that existed and still exist today, she explained.

“There was nothing [for survivors],” she said. “And no one talked about it.”

For her, this is part of why the mission of the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center was so important, because the organization held a vision for a system of services and supports for victims of sexual assault. It became a place where survivors could go to receive individualized care and compassionate concern that may not have been found anywhere else for many.

“How do we respond and change the way we think about it?” Stone said was one of the guiding questions of her work.

Along with a 24-hour support line for survivors, the KCSAR also works with local healthcare providers, law enforcement and local governments to provide support and care for the community. It has also worked for years to be inclusive to speakers of multiple languages to provide equitable services.

Stone said this culmination of supportive efforts would not have been possible without the assistance and cooperation of the city and community leaders and organizations.

During her service with the KCSAR, Stone said she has seen some change in the way society collectively thinks and talks about sexual assault. She said she has noticed much less public stigma than what previously existed.

She credited the “Me Too” movement for raising awareness surrounding the prevalence of sexual assault in today’s society.

“Now, everyone knows someone who has been assaulted,” said Stone.

Much of Stone’s work with the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center was focused on prevention work. In 1981, the organization pioneered a program that worked with school students to teach them about bodily integrity, boundaries and the importance of consent.

“Everyone was nervous about how to talk to children about rape,” she recalled.

Stone said there was a focus on teaching good communication around the topic, as well as trying to reduce the stigma and harmful stereotypes that exist regarding sexual assault.

She said programs to teach youth about consent and safety still exist today, and the organization has partnerships with schools in the Renton School District.

Even with these positive changes to the way people discuss the topic, Stone said there are still barriers and challenges survivors face particularly when it comes to getting justice.

She said often victims have to wait extended periods of time before their rapist is prosecuted in court, which can loom over a survivor as they wonder if the system will hold the person who assaulted them accountable.

Stone wondered if the system provides enough support for these victims — if it sends the right message.

“This should not have happened to you, and I am sorry,” Stone said of the message that society should send to survivors.

After years of supporting survivors through this process, Stone said she does not have the answers to what can be done to make the criminal justice system more supportive of these victims, but she knows that something must be done differently.

Stone called her own work to be a tireless advocate for sexual assault survivors the “honor of a lifetime,” and she emphasized the need to continue to collectively change attitudes and behaviors towards the topic of sexual assault.

“Sexual assault does not exist in a vacuum,” Stone emphasized.

She said it occurs across intersectional lines, be it race, sexuality, and gender, and all of these factors play a part in how survivors are supported, given justice or even just believed.

King County Sexual Assault Resource Center offers a 24-hour Resource Line for anyone who needs help or information about sexual assault at 1.888.99.VOICE (1.888.998.6423). This service is free and confidential.