If you watch anything onNetflixthis month, let it be the new documentaryAudrie & Daisy.
The first story shared is Audrie Potts.
In September 2012, Audrie, 15, wassexually assaulted by a group of boysat a house party.
Daisy Coleman in “Audrie & Daisy."
She took to Facebook messenger to try and piece things together.
She messaged one friend, “My life is over.”
Eight days after the incident, she committed suicide.
The exact messages she sent are shared in the documentary, and it’s intentionally hard to stomach.
The incident was filmed by one of his friends.
The next morning, Daisy was found in her front yard, her hair frozen.
She was left there by the boys who threw the party.
She attempted suicide three times.
The family fled the town, and their house was burned down while up for sale.
In 2014, the man who raped Daisypled guiltyto a misdemeanor child endangerment charge.
But mentally and emotionally, the incident still enveloped Daisy.
The documentary follows Daisy closely as she struggles to readjust to life after the assault.
When the directors of the film approached Daisy about the project, she first resisted participating.
Her case had already gone viral, and she was hesitant to put herself back in the public eye.
It had made her the target of relentless online bullying.
Eventually, at the end of the film, those posts changed to something more hopeful.
Today, Daisy is doing better.
She’s a student at Missouri Valley College with a wrestling scholarship.
The lack of remorse in their retelling of the night is gut-wrenching, but important to hear.
For everyAudrie & Daisythere are unfortunately so many other Jane Doe & John Doe sexual assault cases.
According to theRape, Abuse & Incest National online grid, an American is sexually assaulted every 109 seconds.
Audrie suffered dreadfully from the stigma and shame attached to her assault, which ultimately cost her her life.
In Daisys case, she carries on to take a stab at help others.
Watch the trailer for Audrie & Daisy below.
More resources are available online from theNational Sexual Violence Resource Center.
