Human trafficking survivor debunks harmful myths about sexual violence

“It is significant that [the complainant] presented herself…dressed in a loose fitting pyjama top with no bra and underwear, engaging with a man she really did not know well at all.” 

With this partial reasoning, Justice Peter Wright, acquitted a man in 2017 of two charges of sexual assault involving a fellow tenant in an adult-assisted-living home for persons with disabilities. 

It was a decision heavily criticized by the Court of Appeal for Ontario, which called out Wright for basing almost his entire decision on “long-discredited myths and stereotypes about sexual assault complaints”. 

While this was over eight years ago, and a few months before the Me Too movement became a global phenomenon in October 2017, it is indicative of how pervasive the myths about these crimes, and the behaviour of victims remain embedded in society and throughout the justice system. 

Cassandra Harvey, a survivor of human trafficking, is working to change that.

Harvey, in collaboration with Safe Hope Home—a shelter for human trafficking survivors—is hosting a fundraiser that will bring together art and advocacy in an attempt to dismantle the myth that clothing contributes to ongoing sexual violence. 

The What Were You Wearing exhibit will display actual clothing worn by survivors at the time of their assault. From dresses, to pyjamas, to school uniforms, the intent of the display, which has seen similar iterations held across the globe, is to highlight the reality that there is no correlation between what someone is wearing, and them becoming a victim of sexual assault. 

Police-reported data show that sexual assaults are one of the few violent crimes consistently on the rise across Canada. In Ontario, Sexual Assault Level 1, which involves non-consensual touching with little or no physical harm has increased 68 percent since 2010. Level 2, which involves violent sexual assault, including with a weapon, has increased 105 percent in the province since 2010. 

“I’m trying to take a very difficult subject and make it into something that we can, not celebrate, but celebrate in the sense that we are debunking these myths, and show that it doesn’t matter what you’re wearing, anybody can be assaulted,” Harvey told The Pointer.

The fundraiser, to be held at the El Mocambo in Toronto on May 23, will display actual outfits or replicas, along with the survivor’s story. Harvey has a goal of raising $1 million in support of Safe Hope Home. 

On July 2, Safe Hope Home’s shelter for human trafficking survivors was destroyed in a fire. Everyone was able to escape the house safely, but the blaze destroyed the only place in Canada that offered holistic support to survivors of human trafficking. 

As a survivor herself, Harvey is well aware of the value this type of shelter support can have for those looking to flee their traffickers. It was one of the main reasons she decided to partner with Safe Hope Home and assist with their rebuild effort. 

“I know how much that supportive housing, that transitional housing can have an impact on a survivor’s ability to change the trajectory of their life,” she says “I realized that this was the way it was meant to be, this was the organization I was meant to fundraise for.”

In September 2024, Harvey went public with her story of being trafficked. She is now training to become a lawyer and actively working to help other survivors rebuild their lives.

(Joel Wittnebel/The Pointer files)

The clothing myth is particularly harmful as it implies the victim is to blame in some way for the assault. 

“We have to shift the blame from the victim to the perpetrator,” Harvey says.

Harvey is also using the fundraiser as an opportunity to educate her two young daughters, Laelah, 10 and Ayvah, 8, both of whom are helping her behind the scenes with the promotion of the event. 

“We have a tendency to baby children and keep sensitive topics away from them,” Harvey says. “I’ve told them what sexual violence is, what inappropriate touching is. I’ve educated them…That early prevention and teaching them what is good and what is not, will prevent it in the future.”

The event has already received its first significant financial support through a $5,000 donation from Diamond & Diamond, where Harvey works as a Victims Advocate. The position was created for her after Sandra Zisckind, a managing partner at the firm, heard Harvey’s speech as the keynote speaker at the Toronto Police Service’s Chief’s Gala in November 2024. 

“Given her unique perspective I thought she could help us in the firm to have a unique perspective on victims and what they go through first hand,” Zisckind told The Pointer. 

“Cassandra has been instrumental in opening our eyes to other charities that require help and other people who need our support,” she continued.  “We always support victims’ charities locally, that’s always been our mantra. We believe it’s very important to give back to the community where we reside, where our children reside, where our families reside.”

Details about the exhibit and information on how to donate or buy tickets can be found here. 

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