How to heal after sexual assault: Survivors on their recovery process

Life After Sexual Violence: how does a victim recover from being raped? Our series asks seven victims how they have learned to survive, and flourish

“If everyone who was a survivor of sexual violence and had their lives ruined, then our economy would collapse because of loss of productivity,” says Tanaka Mhishi.

Tanaka is just one of the seven people who feature in Life After Sexual Violence, a seven part series which throws a spotlight on the reality of life after a sex attack.

Victims survive, and flourish, in lots of ways. Sophie Lu became a dog-walker. Faye White started long-distance running. Tanaka writes poetry. Alex Bryce lead an organization which works with safety and justice for sex workers.

Emily Jacob ran a coaching service for other survivors. Imogen Butler-Cole wrote and starred in a one-person theatre show about the physical body after sexual violence. Winnie M Li won the Guardian’s ‘Not the Booker Prize’ for her debut novel, inspired by her rape.

Our participants include Emily Jacob, 44, who runs ReConnected Life, a coaching and community program for survivors of sexual violence; Tanaka Mhishi, 24, a writer from London; Imogen Butler-Cole, 40, an actor and performer with a solo stage show ‘Foreign Body’, about life after sexual assault; Sophie Yates Lu, 28, a campaigner from London; Winnie M Li, 38, a writer and film producer; Faye White, 25, a journalist; Alex Bryce, 34, a political advisor.

If you have been a victim of sexual violence, you can find your local Rape Crisis organisation here if you are a woman seeking support and services, or if you a man or a woman, through The Survivors’ Trust.