CARIBOU, Maine — Each year, 14,000 Mainers experience sexual violence, according to the latest statistics from the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault, but only 373 of those cases were reported to law enforcement in 2015.
Aroostook Mental Health Center’s Sexual Assault Services wants to encourage more individuals who experience or hear about these crimes to speak out and use their voices to help others.
In honor of both Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month, AMHC partnered with the Church of Christ in Caribou to host a community screening of the feature film, “The Book of Henry,” at the Caribou Wellness and Recreation Center on Sunday, April 22.
“The Book of Henry” follows single mother Susan Carpenter and the events that follow after her 11-year-old son, Henry, suspects that his classmate and next-door neighbor, Christina, has experienced sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather Glenn Sickleman, who is also the local police commissioner.
“The movie shows how multiple agencies are involved in reporting sexual assault cases such as law enforcement, school officials and parents,” Keith Book, minister for the Church of Christ, said. “Henry makes a plan in his book to rescue his neighbor, but his mother realizes that there are resources out there to handle the situation in a more adult way.”
After the screening, AMHC Community Educator and Advocate Wendy Page told audience members about resources that the agency offers to sexual assault survivors, including a 24/7 free and confidential support line, accompaniment to medical appointments and legal proceedings, support groups for women and men, and advocacy.
Page thanked the Church of Christ for making her aware of “The Book of Henry” and praised the film for showing the difficulties that child victims can face when reporting sexual assault and abuse.
“Many times children don’t want to get anyone in trouble, especially if their abuser is a parent or family member,” Page said.
During April, AMHC has hosted many educational events about sexual assault awareness, including presentations at local schools and the clothesline project at their Caribou outpatient office and the Caribou Public Library, in which survivors hang self-designed T-shirts in support of people who have broken the silence about sexual assault.
On Sunday, community members were hopeful that showing “The Book of Henry” would be one of many ways to raise awareness of the issue to people in Aroostook County.
“The movie did a good job at showing that sexual assault is a problem all over the world, not just in Aroostook County, and that you have to keep your eyes open for situations that might be happening in the community,” said Eran Montgomery of Caribou.
Martha Book, also of Caribou, appreciated that the film portrayed a child who became more aware of the signs of child abuse than even the adults around him.
“It makes me want to keep my eyes open because if we do nothing then evil will triumph over good. We always should do something to help victims,” Book said.
To reach a sexual assault advocate, call the Statewide Sexual Assault Crisis and Support Line at 1-800-871-7741, TTY 888-458-5599. This free and confidential 24-hour service is accessible from anywhere in Maine. Calls are automatically routed to the closest sexual violence service provider.
