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 When
she makes her entrance on the TV set of channel KSB8, Lila Santos lets
betray her emotions and in particular her fears about the minutes that
will follow. Lila agreed to testify at Eden Castillo's request about the
rape she suffered during the special show requested by the journalist.
This show is actually the opportunity for her friend Julia Wainwright to
come and talk about her rape and trauma following the court's decision.
Dressed
very simply, Lila is worried because not only she has never been on
television, but she has not told many people about her rape. She is
afraid that the tomorrows will become different for her. Gina Capwell is
the first one to find the words of comfort to push her to take a seat on
the set, next to herself but also to Julia and Eden. Like them, Lila was
raped. Her rapist could not be convicted because he died before the
trial could take place.
No
doubt that Lila will leave the KSB8 stage stronger, having learned from
these three women that rape is an abominable crime that goes beyond
simple physical aggression, as the consequences on the victims' psyche
are impactful.
The
program presented by Eden Castillo begins with a vibrant plea for rape
victims. With simple words, precise words, through Eden's
speech (and through the trials endured by her character), reality is
described without pretense : today too many women are victims of sexual
violence. Today too many women are victims of rape. Most often, the
rapists are men they know, men who have a situation, men worthy of
trust, respectable men... The show will again evoke this crime with the
story of B.J. Walker, raped in her childhood by her godfather.
This
is not the first time that Santa
Barbara
tackled rape, describing not only physical violence but also
psychological violence. We can remember Summer Blake, Hayley Benson or
Julia Wainwright who used a therapist to help them not to be afraid of
physical contact with another man. Of course, we can remember the shame,
the guilt that have eaten these women after this crime... Because it is
often the first consequence : the victim does not feel only victim, but
also guilty... Through the character of Eden, this feeling was
particularly highlighted, while daring to openly criticize the society
which, a few years earlier, could leave a certain ambiguity between
rapist and victims...
Portrait
written for this site by Lilian
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