US Democratic Representative for New York Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Monday revealed that she is a “survivor of sexual assault” via a video on Instagram. Originally from the Bronx, in New York, the 31-year-old high-profile leader revealed a detail about her past as she recounted the experience of the riots at the Capitol on January 6.
Ocasio-Cortez spoke live on Instagram to more than 150,000 viewers.
“I’m a survivor of sexual assault,” she said, while seeming to hold back tears.
“And I haven't told many people that in my life. But when we go through trauma, trauma compounds on each other,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
Cortez, who has been vocal about her opinions, said, "The reason I say this and the reason I'm getting emotional in this moment is because these folks who tell us to move on, that it's not a big deal, that we should forget what's happened, or even telling us to apologize. These are the same tactics of abusers.” Cortez did not get into details about the nature of her sexual abuse.
“I’m not going to let it happen to me again. I'm not going to let it happen to the people victimised by the situation again, and I'm not going to let it happen to our country,” she said.
Several congressional committees are investigating the security failures behind the attacks, ABC reports.
While recounting details of the horrid event, Ocasio-Cortez said the scariest experience was a man who came into her office, banged at the doors and repeatedly said, “Where is she, where is she?” Ocasio-Cortez said she thought the man was one of the rioters, but he was a Capitol Police officer. "I thought I was going to die," she said in the broadcast.
