Originally published as "Empower Girls With Defense Instruction," The Journal Gazette, August 11, 2021.
In July 2021, an 11-year-old girl in Auburn met a man through the social media platform Snapchat. Over the course of the next eight days, the alleged attacker would groom the girl online, send nude pictures, exchange texts and push for an in-person meeting that culminated in him raping her.
This horrifying story is not the first such incident and, unfortunately, will not be the last. Just two months earlier in Pensacola, Florida, another 11-year-old fought off a would-be kidnapper.