Dottie Davis has seen what sexual assault can do to a woman.

She has heard plenty of stories in her nearly 30 years in law enforcement. But many instances of sexual assault and rape go unreported, says Davis, the Fort Wayne Police Department’s deputy chief of the northeast division.

It could be that women don’t want to discuss an attack with a male officer, an obstacle compounded by the fact that 88 percent of the city’s police force is male.

Or maybe it’s the myriad ways society seems to blame the victim for the attack.

“There are so many other stereotypes,” Davis says. “The way she was dressed, where she was at when the incident happened (that try to blame the victim). Some people believe unless there’s intercourse, it’s not sexual assault. That’s not true.

“It’s not one of those things that you just openly talk about with other people.”

She hopes Walk a Mile in Her Shoes will help change that.

Davis is in charge of Saturday’s event that puts men in red high heels to walk a mile. The idea is to raise awareness about sexual assault and to encourage victims of rape and sexual assault to come forward, talk about the attack and learn that they are not alone and don’t have to keep their emotions bottled up.

Events such as Walk a Mile in Her Shoes often serve as a kind of catalyst to bring up the past, so it can be difficult for survivors. The event – or other causes, like the anniversary of the attack, seeing a stranger who resembles the attacker or an arrest made years after the crime – is like pulling a scab off a wound.

“It makes you cry all over again,” Davis says.

Davis has seen both sides – the pain and the healing.

After attacks, women go through shock and disbelief, she says. Women often know their attacker, so there’s “I can’t believe this person did this to me.” Women can also have a continued distrust of others, too. These instances have an effect on interpersonal relationships, and it can be difficult to sustain a romantic relationship because of trust issues.

“It is a long-term healing process,” Davis says.

The U.S. Department of Justice reported in 2000 that 22 percent of women surveyed had been forced to do something sexual in their lives, and 13 percent of women surveyed had been raped.

The Department of Defense estimated last year that about 90 percent of rapes in the military are never reported.

But there’s no way to get accurate statistics, officials say.

“So few even report, so we know the numbers are a lot greater than we really see,” Davis says.

Davis is a survivor of domestic violence. When she speaks about domestic violence, she says she can tell by someone’s body language whether that person has experienced what is being discussed.

“A presentation does not go by that I don’t have somebody come forward and make a self-disclosure,” she says.

On her personal website, DottieDavis.com, is a short video about the relationship between Davis and her abuser, her ex-husband. The site is for Davis Corporate Training Inc., a training and consulting group. It teaches clergy, counselors and others how to identify violent behaviors, respond to the abuse and hold the abuser accountable.

“I’m very supportive of women’s issues, and I believe in giving back to the community,” Davis says. “Being a survivor plays a big part in what (boards and events) I choose.”

She speaks of a particular sexual abuse case. The victim was a 13-year-old girl. She was in a place she felt comfortable, and she knew her abuser. Shortly after the attack, she told her parents what had happened – a rarity, Davis says, for a child to come forward, and so soon after the attack.

“She has such a strong relationship with her parents,” she says, evidenced by the fact that she told her parents what happened within an hour. “I have to congratulate that family for having that type of relationship.”

People are attracted to a particular event because they are passionate about a cause, Davis says, and events such as Walk a Mile in Her Shoes can encourage people to come forward with their stories.

jyouhana@jg.net