This month on Voice Lessons, I’m doing a special series where every week we’ll have a new episode sharing the voices and stories of survivors who have experienced sexual trauma.
This week, I spoke with Chris McGee, a father of 3 daughters and survivor advocate, about his experience with the legal system after it came out that his daughter had been groomed and sexually assaulted by a local police officer. The crime resulted in a lenient plea deal where the officer unfortunately walked free.
Refusing to accept this as justice, Chris began working to close legal loopholes that allow law enforcement officers to escape serious charges for sexual violence. Throughout this conversation, we discussed the importance of identifying grooming behavior, creating safe environments for children, and the challenges parents face in trusting their instincts.
Although Chris doesn’t consider himself a writer, he shares a letter he wrote to himself after this experience about releasing the guilt and shame around the trauma his family endured. I think most will agree after hearing it that Chris truly is a writer, and his upcoming book, 'Finding a Way Back,' aims to provide a sense of community and support for other survivors and their families.
Key Topics:
- Navigating the legal system after a police officer took advantage of his family
- Having the conversations nobody wants to have about keeping your family safe
- Trusting your intuition as a parent, especially with teenagers
- The warning signs that somebody might be taking advantage of your kid(s)
- Why do we need to make it easier for survivors to come forward
- Taking the responsibility from victims and putting it back onto predators
- Why Chris decided to write his upcoming book ‘Finding a Way Back’
- How Chris has navigated the guilt and shame he felt after the incident
- Why AWA works for healing after trauma
- Advice for other survivors of trauma on finding their voices
Connect with Chris online:
Website: chrismcghee.com
Instagram: @chris_mcghee_
Amherst Writers and Artists Anthology: https://amherstwriters.org/bookstore/
Find more from Jill:
Email: jill@thewritersrefuge.com
Website: https://www.thewritersrefuge.com/
Writing Coaching Programs: https://www.thewritersrefuge.com/coaching
Sign up for my free 3x weekly writing session: write to jill@thewritersrefuge.com for ZOOM info
Special thanks to LVDY for allowing us to use their song, Saltwater, in the intro and outro of the podcast!
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com