Kelly Favro’s Story

Written By Lindsay Eldridge

VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Content Warning: This series includes graphic descriptions of sexual violence. If you or anyone you know is experiencing sexual violence and abuse, help is available. Please see resources below.

In this two-part series, we explore Kelly Favro's harrowing journey from surviving a two-hour sexual assault to becoming the first person in British Columbia to have a publication ban removed from her name - by herself.

Publication bans are routinely ordered to protect the privacy of vulnerable participants in the criminal justice system. But in the case of sexual assault complainants, what if they didn’t actually consent to the publication ban? What if they don’t want it? What happens when publication bans backfire? 

Along the way, Kelly met many other sexual assault survivors and learned that she was not alone. You’ll also hear the stories of Jade Neilson and Samantha Geiger, two survivors who discovered publication bans had been put on their names without their consent, and how it impacted them in completely separate but negative ways.

It all culminated in a trip to Parliament Hill in Ottawa to fight for changes.

Learn more: www.MyVoiceMyChoice.org

You can help sexual assault survivors now

Sign the petition to help SA survivors like Kelly, Jade and Samantha take back personal agency and control over the application of a publication ban in their name.
Eligibility: Citizens and residents of Canada are eligible to sign the petition
Deadline: 9:29 am EST on Friday March 10, 2023
* After you’ve signed, there is a second step - please check your email and confirm.

Links to write letters to your MP

www.tinyurl.com/PubBanEmail - a new email will populate with the letter and email addresses. You just need to sign your name at the bottom and hit send. www.tinyurl.com/OurVoiceOurChoice2023 - another letter that works for Apple users if they’re having issues.

More information and sources:

Resources for Sexual Violence and Abuse:

This series includes graphic descriptions of sexual violence. If you or anyone you know is experiencing sexual violence and abuse, help is available.

Listen ad-free and early:

CTC premium feeds are available on Amazon Music - included with Prime, Apple Podcasts, Patreon and Supercast.

Credits:

Special thanks to Kelly Favro, Jade Neilson and Samantha Geiger

Writing, research, sound design: Kristi Lee
Audio editing and production: We Talk of Dreams
Production assistance: Jesse Hawke 
Script consulting: Carol Weinberg
Theme songs by We Talk of Dreams
Disclaimer voiced by Erik Krosby

Resources and information sources

  • Interviews with Kelly Favro and Jade Neilson

  • Documents related to Kelly’s case - court documents include reasons for judgement, reasons for sentence, transcripts of testimony, final submissions to the judge, transcripts of police statements, text messages, and other evidence. 

Public court documents:

News archives: 

Statistics and reports

Health information:

Publication bans:

Articles about Kelly:

Survivor Stories Project: 

Other survivor stories:

Music credits:

Theme Song and other original music: We Talk of Dreams

Blue Dot Sessions: Idle Ways, Drizzle, Game Lands, Illa Villardo,  Pigeon Falls, Fissure Forming, Lone Elm, Campsite 9, An Unknown Visitor_Minimal, Dawn Line Approaching, The Coal Hollow, Cold and Hard, Darkened Treeline, Uncertain Ground, Pencil Marks

Lindsay Eldridge
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