By Kortney Lockey, Valley News Live
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (Valley News Live) – A Fergus Falls woman is sparking change at the state level.
Amber Simonson shared the story of her abduction and sexual assault with legislators last month. It’s something she wasn’t sure she’d ever do.
“I definitely was in that place for a while where you can feel very hopeless and like your voice doesn’t matter,” Simonson said. “I can say now, honestly, I do not believe that. I believe it’s very important that we speak up.”
Simonson’s name and home were all over the news in 2018.
However, it took seven years before she spoke of the day a man with a gun broke in, took her to another location and sexually assaulted her before authorities could bring it to an end.
“It’s hard to go back and write it all out,” she said.
Yet she did after getting a text from a State Senator.
“When I heard that this bill had passed the House I thought of Amber and her story right away,” Minnesota State Senator Jordan Rasmusson said. “I wanted to make sure that Amber had a chance to share her story before a final vote was taken.”
Sen. Rasmusson said it would have done away with the Minnesota Sex Offender Program’s review board.
Prosecutors and victims wouldn’t be able to object to an offender’s release.
“There are some people who believe that there are too many individuals in the Minnesota Sex Offender Program. I disagree with them,” Sen. Rasmusson added. “Oftentimes they are violent offenders, they are repeat offenders and they’re in a situation where a judge has ordered that they be civilly committed because they are a danger to the public.”
Simonson’s testimony shone a light on how the law would impact those like her.
“It was very healing. It was liberating to be able to tell people that story and hopefully have it make an impact,” Simonson said. “I can see the fruits of that in the fact that they didn’t vote to take away victim’s rights.”
She wrote a letter that was read to the senators before the vote.
“I think it’s important to know that your voice can really make a difference,” Sen. Rasmusson said. “I’m grateful that Amber shared her story. It stopped this bad idea from becoming a law this year.”
The County Attorney who worked Simonson’s case also testified in opposition of the bill.
