Sexual abuse survivor and advocate Katie Trout traveled across North Carolina this month to share her story, discuss the challenges survivors face in seeking justice, and highlight her experience advocating for stronger protections at the state legislature, including her interactions with former state Rep. Sarah Stevens.
Hosted by Red Wine and Blue, Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic, the Justice Project, and local organizations, The Politics of Abuse tour brought public conversations to Raleigh, Charlotte, Wilmington, and Greensboro. Trout was joined by local legal professionals and community advocates to discuss how North Carolina’s laws and courts affect survivors.
After publicly sharing her experience of childhood sexual abuse during the #ChurchToo movement, Trout began advocating for the SAFE Child Act, which expanded the time survivors have to pursue civil claims against their abusers. She later helped advance legislation strengthening protections against sexual abuse involving church employees and volunteers.
During the Wilmington stop, Trout described her experience testifying before a legislative committee chaired by Stevens in support of the 2025 Public Safety Act. Trout said she had just 60 seconds to describe four years of sexual abuse and its lasting effects.
“Representative Stevens was behind her podium, and I thought she would be listening, but she started shuffling her papers,” Trout recalled. “She eventually walked off and started talking to somebody in the corner, all while I’m talking about four years of frequent sexual abuse and the impacts that it’s had on my entire life. She couldn’t handle 60 seconds.”
Trout also discussed Stevens’ opposition to an earlier version of the SAFE Child Act, which would have given survivors until age 38 to file civil lawsuits. Stevens raised concerns about potential lawsuits against individuals and institutions, arguing for a shorter filing period. She ultimately voted for a revised version that extended the deadline to age 28.
Trout said these deadlines often fail to account for how long it can take survivors to recognize and process abuse, much less decide whether to pursue legal action.
“Coming to terms with what happened and then making the decision to do something legally” are different stages, Trout explained, describing the emotional difficulty of reopening traumatic experiences through the legal process.
Trout’s experiences with Stevens were also featured in a recent ad, in which she criticized the former lawmaker’s treatment of survivors. Stevens, now the Republican nominee for North Carolina Supreme Court, is challenging incumbent Justice Anita Earls.
“I shared my experience about Sarah Stevens because I don’t want any other survivor to feel overlooked and diminished the way I did,” Trout said. “Over the years, she’s made it very clear how she feels about those who have been terribly harmed. Instead of a listening and sympathetic ear, Stevens chose to shuffle papers and turned her back on me. Stevens doesn’t belong on North Carolina’s highest court.”
Through the statewide tour, Trout and local advocates continued conversations about the barriers survivors face and the role North Carolina’s legislature and courts play in addressing them.
