97: Kidnapped in Broad Daylight & Repeatedly Raped at 19

Rhiannon Thoreson was 19 years old and washing her car in broad daylight when a stranger came up behind her, held a knife to her throat, and kidnapped her. He drove her to a remote area, where she was held for hours, repeatedly sexually assaulted, physically assaulted, and threatened with death. What followed was a years-long struggle with severe PTSD, suicidal thoughts, panic attacks, hypervigilance, shame, and the pressure to appear successful on the outside while privately struggling with what had happened to her.

Rhiannon opens up about returning to college shortly after the attack, hiding how badly she was struggling from the people around her, and spending years in therapy as she learned how to live with the trauma. She shares how EMDR changed her experience with PTSD, why she stopped expecting herself to one day be completely “healed,” and how surviving the attack ultimately influenced her decision to attend law school and advocate for victims of crime. Rhiannon and Chell also discuss survivor guilt, forgiveness, restorative justice, and the complicated reality that a conviction and courtroom victory can hold someone accountable without necessarily bringing a survivor healing or closure.

Rhiannon’s links:

https://www.instagram.com/mybeautyfromashes

https://linktr.ee/mybeautyfromashes

https://rhiannonthoreson.com

Rhiannon’s TEDx Talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSV0IrT8eDA

Rhiannon’s book: My Beauty from Ashes

https://rhiannonthoreson.com/books

Resources:

Crisis Text Line