Podcast on Crimes Against Women

A predator rarely “shows up” as a stranger in the dark. Sometimes he shows up as a trusted helper with a badge, a friendly smile, and the perfect reason to be near your child. In the final episode of Season 7, we talk with Conference on Crimes Against Women presenter Chris McGhee, the father of a survivor and a relentless advocate for criminal justice reform, to unpack how sexual assault grooming...

“What were you wearing?” sounds like a question, but it often functions like a verdict. From the the 2026 Conference on Crimes Against Women in Dallas, we sit down with Dr. Mary Simmerling and Dr. Denise Huskins Quinn to unpack the What Were You Wearing exhibit, a traveling art installation that recreates the everyday outfits survivors wore during sexual assault and pairs them with stories, audio,...

Someone tells you they love you, mirrors your values, and makes you feel seen in a way you haven’t felt in years. Then they vanish, come back with an excuse, and your body floods with relief. That cycle is not romance. It’s a strategy, and it’s driving a surge in romance fraud, catfishing, and online dating scams that leave victims with financial loss and trauma that looks a lot like PTSD. In this...

The law says “equal protection,” but Wendy Murphy argues the U.S. legal system still keeps women on the outside of that promise and the proof is in how gender-based violence gets handled. From rape statutes that require force to charging practices that slow-walk sexual assault complaints, we trace how constitutional doctrine, policing discretion, and courtroom culture combine to under-protect wome...

Forty percent of homicides tied to intimate partner violence is not a “domestic issue.” It’s a community-wide prevention problem. I’m joined by Detective Brandon Wooten to explain how domestic violence high-risk teams (DVHRTs) are changing what happens before the worst day, using evidence-based lethality assessment and a coordinated response that actually moves cases forward.  We dig into the DVHR...

This week we talk with Jessica Smith Wilcott, sister of Officer Jillian Smith of the Arlington Police Department about how one fateful domestic violence disturbance call changed two families forever. In this episode, Jessica shares the story of what happened to Jillian that December night in 2010, who Jillian was beyond the badge, and how remembrance turned into action can transform law enforcemen...

What if the moment you finally said “enough” became the spark that built your legacy? We sit down with DeShandra (Monet) Cullins—a survivor, mother of five, entrepreneur, and author of You Good, Sis?—who turned lifelong trauma into a blueprint for healing, purpose, and generational change. From escaping intimate partner violence to walking into a shelter with her daughters, she shares the precise...

What happens when the place teens go to connect becomes a channel for control? We dig into the real dynamics of tech-facilitated dating violence—how it starts, how it spreads across platforms, and how teens, parents, and advocates can disrupt it without demonizing the tools young people love. Joined by Audace Garnett, director of SafetyNet at the National Network to End Domestic Violence, we unpac...

Crises don’t just knock out power—they unravel the safeguards that keep predators at bay. We dig into how traffickers exploit natural disasters, pandemics, and even major events by stepping into system failures with promises of food, shelter, and work that morph into coercion and control. From labor trafficking in post-hurricane rebuilds to targeted online recruitment of displaced single mothers,...

What if “I do” isn’t a choice? We sit down with Hellitz Villegas, Project Manager of the Forced Marriage Initiative at the Tahirih Justice Center, to expose how forced marriage operates in the U.S.—and why consent must include the partner, the timing, and the freedom to say no without fear. We move beyond stereotypes to examine the hidden machinery of coercion: family pressure, spiritual manipulat...

In this episode, we confront common misconceptions about predator behaviors with insight from retired deputy sheriff Joy Farrow and survivor-advocate Laura Frombach. Together, they reveal how predatory tactics unfold through subtle tests, familiar social scripts, and systemic blind spots—and discuss how to interrupt these patterns before they escalate into crisis. We start by redefining safety, lo...

The numbers are staggering, but the stories are even more urgent: sex trafficking thrives where demand goes unchecked and myths cloud our judgment. Today we sit down with human rights attorney Yasmin Vafa, co‑founder and executive director of Rights for Girls, to pull the curtain back on how this market really works—and why centering girls’ voices is the key to stopping it. From courtroom biases t...

The statistics related to domestic violence are sobering, but the story behind them is even more complex—and too often misunderstood. In this episode, we dig into how popular frameworks for understanding domestic violence took hold and how survivors play a role in shaping those frameworks - and thereby enhancing our understanding of abuse. Our guests, Melissa Scaia and Dr. Lisa Young Larance, brin...

A late-night call, a closed clinic, and a stack of unanswered emails set the stage for one of the most determined quests for justice you’ll hear this year. We walk through Kaitlin Hurley’s drug-facilitated rape in Antigua, the UK police officer who tried to outrun accountability, and the father who refused to let an international border or a slow bureaucracy be the end of the story. We start with...

In this episode, two parent-advocates - each with a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - share how ASD shapes communication, safety, and trust, and why lived experience should guide training for police, firefighters, EMTs, and courts. Together with Cheryl Stehle and Jamiel Owens, we explore misread behaviors, practical de-escalation, family preparation, and the need for policy tha...

One decision in the interview room can change a life—or ruin it. We sit down with interrogation expert David Thompson to unpack why survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking are uniquely vulnerable to false confessions, and how science‑backed interviewing protects truth without compromising justice. The conversation moves past TV tropes and into what the data actually show: a...

Pregnancy should be a time of joy and anticipation, but for thousands of American women each year, it becomes the most dangerous period of their lives. In this eye-opening conversation with Professor Elizabeth Tobin-Tyler of Brown University, we explore the shocking reality that homicide is a leading cause of traumatic death for pregnant and postpartum women, accounting for 31% of maternal injury...

What happens when protection orders fail? In November 2019, Tiffany Hill did everything by the book to protect herself from her abusive husband. She reported his violence, obtained no-contact orders, and worked closely with law enforcement. Yet she was still murdered in front of her children and mother while sitting in her car outside an elementary school. Former Washington State Senator Lynda Wil...

Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG) stands at the frontier of criminal justice, offering new hope for cases that have remained unsolved for decades. This groundbreaking conversation takes us inside the Center for Human Identification (CHI) at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth - the first public lab in the nation providing comprehensive FGG services to law enforcement....

In this episode, Pagan Kennedy, author of "The Secret History of the Rape Kit," reveals the untold story behind the rape kit, a forensic tool that revolutionized sexual assault investigations but whose creator, Marty Goddard, was erased from history. Through meticulous research, Kennedy uncovered how Goddard developed this life-changing evidence collection system in 1970s Chicago while f...

What happens when your abuser carries a badge and a gun? For victims of officer-involved domestic violence, the journey to safety becomes a dangerous maze with few exits.   Bruce Bieber joins us with the heartbreaking story of his daughter Abby – a rising star deputy sheriff who was murdered by her intimate partner, himself a detective in the same sheriff's office. This wasn't a random t...

Sexual violence leaves survivors searching for answers, often without a roadmap for what comes next. Cheyenne Wilson knows this firsthand. After her own assault, she desperately sought comprehensive guidance but found only fragmented resources. This experience sparked her creation of "We Are the Evidence: A Handbook for Finding Your Way After Sexual Assault" – the resource she wished had...

What happens when those who save others need saving themselves? Behind the badge, helmet, or uniform lies a harsh reality few civilians understand: our first responders are suffering in silence. Dr. Heather Twedell (Dr. T), forensic psychologist and founder of F1RST, pulls back the curtain on the devastating toll that repeated trauma takes on police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and dispatch...

What does safety really mean when you're trapped in an abusive relationship? For forty years, Genesis Women's Shelter & Support has been answering this question through action, evolving from a seven-room emergency shelter into a comprehensive support system that recognizes both physical and emotional dimensions of safety. In this revealing conversation, Genesis CEO Jan Langbein and C...

The digital world has created a dangerous new frontier for abuse that goes far beyond basic stalking or harassment. AI technology now enables perpetrators to manufacture entirely false realities, trapping victims in a matrix of manipulation where even their own experiences can be called into question. Sloan Thompson and Dr. Saed Hill from End Technology-Enabled Abuse (ENDTab) join us to explore ho...