UR students face retaliation after going public with sexual assault claims

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By Tracey Smith – RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Whitney Ralston and CC Carreras made headlines in September when the two women went public with their stories on how the University of Richmond handled their sexual assault cases.

While many people have been supportive, the two women said they have also received a significant amount of negative feedback as well.

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"We're pretty much used to it by now," Whitney Ralston told 8News reporter Tracey Smith.

Both women said their cars have been damaged by people keying scratches and writing the word "slut" onto the side. Carreras' face on her sorority's composite was also scratched through.

"The nasty messages and our cars being keyed and my face being gauged out, I can put up with that if it helps somebody else," Carrera said.

Ralston, a junior, said she doesn't attend classes anymore. Instead, she has opted to take classes that allow her to do the work at home.

"People are definitely a lot crueler when they think they can't be held accountable," Ralston said.

When asked if they regret coming public with their story, both said they would do it again all over again.

"The good outweighs the bad," Carerras said.

Both said they still encourage victims of rape and sexual assault to come forward.

"You're worth reporting, you are worth fighting for," Carerras said.

Ralston added, "Nothing is going to change unless you talk about it."