What Does a Trial Timeline Look Like?

Curious about what the timeline is like for a victim of sexual assault from the point where they choose to report to authorities until the case is presented in trial? This was my timeline.

For a year and a half, I had to remember every single detail of my assault so I could defend my every being on the stand. For a year and a half, my life was like a game of ping pong and others were in control of the game. For a year and a half, I prepared for a date that kept changing, that kept me from pursuing opportunities because I didn't want to tell a new employer why I would be gone for a week.

During this time, I also met some really amazing supportive people, particularly staff at Peace Corps, who were vital in actually making it to trial.

In that year and a half, a second victim came forward who he had chosen to assault before me. How many more women could he have potentially assaulted during that year and a half while we waited for trial?

I am a single data point along a data set of others who have been sexually assaulted. My hope is that we become a society that does not tolerate sexual violence resulting in less individuals who have to live through a trial timeline like this one.