Attorney General Andy Beshear and Eileen Recktenwald, director of the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs (KASAP), announced UK as the overall winner of the #VoiceofJustice video contest earlier this month in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

A panel of survivors and victim advocates selected the video “Stand with us” by Dr. Emily Bonistall Postel’s “Victimology” class as the overall $500 prizewinner, according to the official press release from the Attorney General’s Office. The video production team was led by Raenah Hawkins, broadcast journalism senior, and Trent Patrick, political science and sociology senior, who are also students in the class. 

Hawkins said she hopes the video shows support for victims of sexual assault and encourages others to stand up against sexual assault crimes on campus.  

“We wanted to show to victims that others may not listen to them, believe them, nor stand up for them, but we do,” Hawkins said. 

The contest was announced in February as a way to promote awareness and bring transparency to campus sexual assault.

Hawkins said she learned just how big of an impact a video can have on its viewers.

“I had people who were victims reach out to me and tell me how much they appreciate it and how glad they are we made the video,” Hawkins said. 

The video, “We all need to speak up,” produced by Western Kentucky University SGA and co-produced by students Sam Kirby and Student Body President Jay Todd Richey, won the $500 “Viral Video” award by receiving the most views on Beshear’s YouTube channel, according to a press release. 

“Voice of Justice was an opportunity for college students to lend their voices to bringing greater awareness to campus sexual assault, and I am proud of their courage to speak out. I hope their bravery inspires everyone on campus to intervene and prevent sexual assault, and creates a safer space for victims to contact the rape crisis hotline and report to authorities,” Beshear said in a press release.

The video can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDWRZJXTzK8&list=PLq1VA07T8J4XK9y6paO7p-veb5A65aGRv&index=4.