23 October 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) — People in the capital city continue to gather in support of Zoey Felix: the 5-year-old girl who was tragically killed earlier this month.
Several Topekans hosted a motorcycle ride Sunday not just in her honor, but in honor of the fight to protect our children.
According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, 290 instances of rape against children 14 and under were reported in 2022. Over 90 percent of these instances were against young girls.
Research from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center shows one in every four women and one in every six men are sexually assaulted before they turn 18.
But the community is staying strong and making sure everyone’s voice is heard.
“I feel we as a society don’t do our part to bring awareness to situations like this,” Janae Johnson, a sexual assault survivor, said. “That’s why we have to come together as a community to bring that awareness. It makes other survivors come out and talk. That’s how you get either survivors to talk, by being that voice to talk first and to get the chain going.”
Protecting KS Children From Sexual Predators, a sexual violence support group, fought for four years before finally getting Kansas lawmakers to reform the statute of limitations for rape and child sex crimes.
But until sexual violence numbers are at zero, survivors of sexual assault in Kansas won’t stop fighting to bring more awareness and help others speak up.
“As somebody who hasn’t heard…my heart breaks for this family and I hope this never happens to another little girl or little boy ever,” Joe Cheray, a sexual assault survivor, said.