Brave Miss World

Linor: I SAT IN THE FRONT AND I WAS A LITTLE BIT TIRED,

AND HE SAID, "YOU CAN MOVE TO THE BACK."

AND WE DROVE FOR, LIKE, ONE AND A HALF HOURS.

I FELL ASLEEP FOR A BIT.

I WOKE UP. I SAW THAT WE ARE NOWHERE.

AND THEN HE TOOK OUT A KNIFE,

AND HE SAID, "TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES."

THE MOMENT THAT IT'S HAPPENING, YOUR SOUL JUST --

IT'S NOT THERE.

IT'S JUST A BODY.

Man: THERE'S ONLY ONE MORE PRIZE HERE TONIGHT,

AND THAT'S THE BIG ONE!

MISS WORLD 1998 IS ONE OF THESE GIRLS!

AND MISS WORLD 1998 IS...

MISS ISRAEL!

[ CHEERING, APPLAUSE, TRIUMPHANT MUSIC PLAYING ]

Woman: AS CROWDS OF ISRAELI FANS WELCOMED THE NEW MISS WORLD,

NO ONE KNEW OF HER ORDEAL JUST TWO MONTHS EARLIER.

Linor: I'M JUST IN SHOCK.

IT FEELS SURREAL TO THINK THAT...

YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE'D LIKE TO THANK YOU

VERY, VERY MUCH FOR THIS WONDERFUL WARM WELCOME.

I THINK THAT THIS IS SO MUCH

WHAT SHE HAS WANTED, TO COME HOME.

IT'S WITH GREAT PRIDE, AND THE TEARS ARE OF JOY.

Linor: I WAS RAPED IN MILAN, ITALY, WHEN I WAS 18 YEARS OLD.

JUST 7 WEEKS BEFORE THE MISS WORLD CONTEST.

I'M LAUNCHING A WEBSITE.

I HOPE THAT SURVIVORS OF RAPE WORLDWIDE

WOULD USE THE WEBSITE AS A PLACE

TO SHARE THEIR ACCOUNTS OF PAIN AND HEALING.

WE CANNOT STAY SILENT.

THERE IS SOMEONE HERE TODAY WHO GAVE ME THE COURAGE

TO SPEAK OUT WHEN I WAS RAPED.

IT WAS MY MOTHER.

SHE DIDN'T TELL ME TO KEEP QUIET,

SHE DIDN'T CARE WHAT THE NEIGHBORS WOULD SAY.

SHE KNEW THAT THE FAULT WAS HIS, NOT MINE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MOM.

I WISH ALL VICTIMS OF RAPE

WOULD HAVE THE SAME KIND OF SUPPORT

THAT YOU GAVE ME.

THE WEBSITE HAS BEEN UP FOR A WEEK,

AND THERE ARE 691 E-MAILS.

"HI, LINOR.

IN 1995, I WAS BRUTALLY RAPED

BY A STRANGER WHO WALKED INTO MY HOME.

IT WAS A LIVING NIGHTMARE."

WOW. DEFINITELY GOING TO CALL HER.

Woman: I WAS TIED UP,

AND I WAS ABLE TO RUN

TO MY NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE.

SHE CALLED 911 RIGHT AWAY.

I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR STORY,

AND I THINK IT'S GOOD IF WE MEET.

THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.

Man: THIS TRIP IS VERY IMPORTANT TO LINOR.

BUT IT'S NOT AN EASY TOPIC,

AND I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO DISCUSS WHAT HAPPENED

OR THINK ABOUT IT.

IF IT WERE UP TO ME,

I WOULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS PROJECT.

Man #2: WHAT HAPPENED HAPPENED. IT'S OVER.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE WOULD CHOOSE

TO BRING UP THIS TRAUMA AGAIN.

WHY RISK OPENING UP WOUNDS WHICH MIGHT NOT HAVE HEALED?

WE'VE LEARNED TO LIVE WITH THEM. SHE LEARNED TO LIVE WITH THEM.

Man: I HEARD HER SPEECH YESTERDAY,

AND I COULDN'T STOP THE TEARS, YOU KNOW?

HE'S MORE NERVOUS THAN I AM!

THAT RIGHT?

Woman: I'M HONORED TO NOW PRESENT TO YOU LINOR ABARGIL,

A HEROINE IN HER NATIVE COUNTRY

WHOSE STRENGTH, COMPASSION, AND CONVICTION

WILL GALVANIZE COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE WORLD

TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST RAPE.

Linor: GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE HERE.

I NEVER WANTED TO BE IN PAGEANTS,

BUT IT WAS A WAY TO TRAVEL.

I ENTERED THE MISS ISRAEL COMPETITION AT THE LAST MOMENT.

THE PRIZE WAS A TRIP TO THAILAND AND A NEW CAR.

Man: LINOR ABARGIL!

Linor: I CAME FROM A SMALL TOWN.

A TRIP AND A NEW CAR WAS A BIG DEAL.

WELL, AFTER I WON MISS ISRAEL, I WAS SENT TO MILAN, ITALY.

BUT AFTER TWO WEEKS, I FELT OUT OF PLACE,

AND I MISSED MY FAMILY.

THE MODELING AGENCY PUT ME IN TOUCH

WITH AN ISRAELI AGENT IN MILAN NAMED SHLOMO NUR.

I MET WITH HIM AND ASKED HIM TO GET ME A FLIGHT HOME

AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

HE FINALLY GOT ME A NIGHT FLIGHT FROM ROME,

AND HE WAS WILLING TO DRIVE ME THERE.

HE TOOK A SECLUDED ROAD,

TELLING ME THAT AVOIDING THE FREEWAY

WOULD SAVE ME THE TOLL.

THOSE WERE THE LONGEST HOURS OF MY LIFE.

SORRY.

RAPE IS SO ISOLATING.

BECAUSE EVEN IF YOU TELL PEOPLE WHAT HAPPENED,

THEY ARE AFRAID TO MENTION IT,

SO YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY SILENCE.

Woman: YOU MADE ME REMEMBER SOMETHING

FROM MY CHILDHOOD THAT I DON'T THINK I CAN SAY,

BUT I'M GOING TO THINK ABOUT IT DIFFERENTLY.

WOW. I HOPE.

THIS IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. YOU TAKE CARE.

WHEN THIS HAPPENED TO ME AT 21,

THERE WASN'T EVEN A RAPE CRISIS CENTER AROUND.

OH, GOD.

I WAS A TELEVISION NEWS ANCHOR AT THE TIME.

A MAN BROKE INTO MY HOUSE,

STABBED ME, AND RAPED ME. OH, GOD.

I'VE NEVER BEEN BACK ON TELEVISION SINCE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING TODAY.

IT WAS REALLY WONDERFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH.

Linor: I DIDN'T EXPECT TODAY TO BE SO EMOTIONAL,

BUT IT WAS INCREDIBLE HOW PEOPLE REACTED AFTERWARDS.

WE ALL HAVE THE SAME PAIN NO MATTER WHERE YOU'RE FROM.

Aliza: I WASN'T IN CLEVELAND,

BUT I KNOW WHEN SHE SPOKE, SHE BEGAN TO CRY

AND SHE COULDN'T...

BUT WHEN MY DAUGHTER INSISTS ON SOMETHING,

IF YOU CAN'T AGAINST HER, YOU HUG HER AND GO WITH HER.

THIS IS THE WAY.

AND IF NOT, YOU LOSE YOUR CHILD.

Linor: MOM. Aliza: WHAT, HONEY?

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT TO THIS DAY

WE HAVE NEVER TALKED ABOUT THIS?

I DIDN'T FEEL THAT YOU WANTED

TO SPEAK ABOUT IT WITH ME.

I DIDN'T FEEL YOU WERE READY.

IT'S SO SENSITIVE.

I CAN'T COME TO YOU AND TELL YOU,

"I WANT TO SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT THE RAPE."

WHY? BECAUSE IT'S...

I FEEL THAT IT HAS TO COME FROM YOU.

YOU WERE SCARED. MAYBE.

BUT I GAVE YOU THE FEELING THAT IF YOU WANT,

WHENEVER, TO SPEAK ABOUT IT, I'M HERE.

BUT MOST OF THE DAY YOU HAVE BEEN CRYING

AT YOUR ROOM ALONE.

IT'S DIFFICULT. YEAH.

WHEN I WAS ALONE, I CALLED 1212 --

THE RAPE CENTER. RAPE CENTER, YES.

I SAID, "I AM A MOTHER, MY DAUGHTER WAS RAPED,

AND I CAN'T...

I CAN'T SPEAK WITH ANYONE ABOUT IT."

AND THEY ENCOURAGE ME, THEY SPEAK WITH ME --

BUT YOU DON'T THINK

THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE TALKED TO DADDY ABOUT IT?

THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM CRYING,

BUT CRYING, YOU KNOW, LIKE A CHILD,

IT WAS WHEN YOU WERE RAPED.

EVEN WHEN HIS FATHER DIED,

I DON'T REMEMBER HE CRIED LIKE THIS.

IT'S... IT'S CRAZY. IT WAS CRAZY.

Linor: YOU KNOW, MY MOM CALLED YOU.

SHE JUST TOLD ME. I DIDN'T REALIZE.

BUT SHE TOLD ME SHE DIDN'T HAVE NO ONE TO SPEAK TO,

AND SHE CALLED YOU. Woman: WOW. AND DID IT HELP HER?

YEAH. YEAH.

WE GIVE HER A LOT OF CREDIT FOR THAT,

'CAUSE LOTS OF MOTHERS ALSO DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH IT

AND DON'T WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT,

SO THEY TRY TO HIDE IT AS WELL.

WHY DO YOU THINK ALL THE VICTIMS --

IT REALLY BOTHERS ME, THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING --

COVER THEIR -- ON TV, THEY COVER THEIR FACES.

WHY THEY DON'T STAND AND TALK ABOUT IT?

OKAY, IT'S VERY, VERY FRUSTRATING,

BUT WE CAN'T BLAME THE VICTIM FOR THAT AS WELL

BECAUSE SO MANY WOMEN HAVE BEEN BURNED.

WHEN YOU HAVE A CLASSIC STORY OF THE --

THE CLASSIC MYTHICAL STORY OF A ONE-TIME RAPE,

OF A VERY VIOLENT SCENE,

AND SO, THEN SOCIETY HAS A LOT OF EMPATHY.

BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY

THAT WAS ABUSED BY AN EMPLOYER

OR WAS ABUSED BY SOMEBODY THAT SHE REALLY LOVED --

THE "GRAY AREA", SO TO CALL --

SHE KNOWS THAT SOCIETY'S JUST GOING TO BLAME HER EVEN MORE.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOMEN JUST DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH.

AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU,

YOU'RE REALLY, REALLY THE EXCEPTION.

MOST WOMEN DON'T HAVE THE INNER STRENGTH

OR THE SUPPORT THAT YOU HAVE.

THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT JUST REALLY NEED OUR HELP

AND THAT REALLY NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT ALONE.

Linor: I'M HERE IN NEW YORK FOR A WEEK.

SO MANY WOMEN HAVE WRITTEN TO ME THROUGH THE WEBSITE.

A LOT OF THEM NEVER TOLD ANYONE.

I NEED TO FIND A WAY TO HELP THEM SPEAK UP

SO THEY CAN START TO HEAL.

I THINK YOU'RE THE FIRST GIRL THAT REALLY WROTE THE SITE.

I WENT TO GET A BOWL OF CEREAL FOR DINNER.

AND AS I WAS EATING MY CEREAL,

THIS HAND CAME AROUND FROM BEHIND ME.

MY NAME IS JENNIFER, AND I WAS RAPED WHEN I WAS 23.