In 2026, Canberra Rape Crisis Centre (CRCC) marks 50 years of service to the ACT community.
To honour this milestone, we’re sharing 50 Stories – 50 stories of hope, 50 stories of resilience – voices from across five decades of our history. These are the stories of victim-survivors who found support when they needed it most. Of staff who were ready to support. Of the founders who saw a critical gap and filled it. Of partners who stand alongside us.
Some stories are long. Some are just a few words. All of them reflect what CRCC has been, what it is, and what it will continue to be: a place where people are believed, supported, and never alone.
New stories are published weekly throughout 2026. Follow along here, or find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
THE STORIES
Story 1/50: “I didn’t know where to turn”: How integrated support helped one mother rebuild
When Mary* was referred to Canberra Rape Crisis Centre (CRCC), she was navigating the aftermath of sexual violence within her marriage, caring for young children, and facing a system she had never encountered before. As a woman from a culturally and linguistically diverse background (CALD), isolated by her abuser and unfamiliar with Australian support services, she didn’t know where to start. CRCC’s integrated approach meant she didn’t have to figure it out alone.
Mary* came to CRCC through a referral from Legal Aid. She needed support across multiple fronts – legal, medical, financial – while caring for her children without transport or a network to rely on.
“For many victim-survivors, the system itself becomes another barrier,” explains CRCC staff member. “They are expected to navigate police interviews, court processes, medical appointments, and government services – often while in crisis and caring for dependents. For someone unfamiliar with how these systems work, it can feel impossible.”
CRCC’s crisis team engaged with Mary* immediately, accompanying her to appointments with Sexual Health Services and supporting her through police interviews. Recognising the complexity of her situation, she was referred internally to CRCC’s Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) program for ongoing case management.
This meant Mary* had one consistent point of contact who could coordinate across all the services she needed – legal, financial, medical, and emotional support – rather than telling her story repeatedly to different providers. CRCC also provided emergency transport assistance so she could attend appointments while managing childcare.
With support from Legal Aid, facilitated through her CRCC connection, Mary* was able to remain safely in her home. She and her children continue to engage with CRCC, moving through services with a clear pathway rather than falling through the gaps.
Mary’s* experience reflects why integrated support matters. For victim-survivors from CALD backgrounds – who may face language barriers, unfamiliarity with Australian systems, and additional isolation – a fragmented service system can mean the difference between getting help and giving up.
CRCC’s model ensures that victim-survivors like Mary* don’t have to navigate alone.
“No one should have to understand a system they’ve never seen before, while in the worst moment of their life. That’s our job – to walk alongside them.” CRCC staff member.
Consent note: Name and identifying details changed. Shared with client consent.
Story 02/50 "I'm learning to manage the hard days": Nevya's path to stability
When Nevya* called Canberra Rape Crisis Centre’s (CRCC) crisis line, she was overwhelmed. Unresolved childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual assault had left her struggling with PTSD and chronic pain, all while raising her child alone, working part-time, and studying. She needed support, but
she also needed it to fit her life. Nevya* is a single mother with limited family support. When the weight of her trauma became unmanageable, she reached out to CRCC.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” she says. “I just knew
I couldn’t keep going the way I was.”
After an initial crisis appointment, Nevya* was connected with CRCC’s Brief Intervention pathway, a structured program of four to six sessions focused on stabilisation, distress tolerance, and building practical skills for managing emotions.
For someone juggling parenting, work, and study, this model offered something essential: timely, targeted support that didn’t require an open-ended commitment.
“The sessions gave me tools I could actually use,” she explains. “I started to
recognise my triggers. I learned how to bring myself back when things felt like
too much.”
After three sessions, Nevya* reported fewer days of acute distress and a stronger sense of control. She has committed to completing her remaining sessions, building skills that will help her manage daily life without needing longer-term counselling.
Nevya’s* experience shows that the right support at the right time can make a profound difference. Not everyone needs years of therapy, sometimes what is needed is a short, focused intervention that builds capacity and restores stability.
CRCC’s Brief Intervention pathway offers exactly that: evidence-based, skills-focused support for people navigating complex trauma who need help now.
“I’m not ‘fixed’. I don’t think that’s the goal. But I’m learning to manage the
hard days. That’s everything.” Nevya*
Consent note: Name and identifying details changed. Shared with client consent.
Story 03/50 "The day she stopped carrying it alone" - Sarah's bravest step
Sarah* was a teenager when she made one of the bravest decisions of her life. With the support of a trusted teacher, she walked into a police station and disclosed that she had been sexually abused by her mother’s partner; abuse that had begun when she was very young and continued for years. In that moment, she set in motion a process that no one should have to navigate alone.
This disclosure triggered a sequence of events that could have overwhelmed anyone, let alone a child. Police interviews. Medical examinations. The reality that she could no longer safely return to her family home.
CRCC’s crisis team responded to a callout from the Sexual Assault Child Abuse Team (SACAT) to support Sarah* through her police interview – a process that took many hours across multiple appointments.
But our support didn’t end there.
We coordinated a comprehensive response across Sarah’s immediate and longer-term needs. We liaised with the Forensic and Medical Sexual Assault Care (FAMSAC) team to arrange urgent medical support, and we worked with services to secure emergency accommodation when Sarah* couldn’t safely return home. We participated in multi-agency case conferences to ensure every professional involved – including staff at school – knew how to respond with trauma-informed care.
Throughout Sarah’s journey, CRCC was a consistent presence, over the phone and in person. When court proceedings began, we were there, walking alongside Sarah* as she faced the legal process. A referral to CRCC’s counselling team ensured Sarah* had access to longer-term therapeutic support.
“Having someone there with me when I was dealing with the police and medical services made such a difference,” Sarah* later shared. “I wasn’t doing it alone.”
Sarah* remained engaged with CRCC and continues to receive specialist counselling. The coordinated response ensured she didn’t have to navigate a complex system on her own, a system that, without support, can itself be retraumatising.
For young people disclosing child sexual abuse, the hours and days following that disclosure are pivotal. CRCC’s 24/7 crisis response – attending police interviews, coordinating across agencies, providing sustained advocacy – transforms what could be an overwhelming experience into one where a young person feels supported and in control of decisions about their own life.
This early intervention reduces long-term harm and lays the foundation for recovery.
“She walked in alone. She didn’t leave that way.” CRCC Crisis Advocate
Consent note: Name and identifying details changed. Shared with client consent.
If you’d like to contribute to 50 Stories, get in touch with us. Participation is entirely voluntary.
All stories involving victim-survivor experiences are shared with informed consent. Names and identifying details are changed to protect privacy. CRCC is committed to trauma-informed storytelling that centres hope and agency.