Survivor says she faced harassment outside court as her case returned before a judge
A routine interview outside Hartford Criminal Court took an unexpected turn when raised voices interrupted a conversation with sexual assault survivor Abby Prospere. As Prospere spoke with NBC Connecticut Investigates about the latest developments in her case, two women began shouting at her—accusing her of lying and forcing her to defend herself in the moment.
“Leave me alone. I will file a restraining order,” she said as the confrontation escalated.
Prospere reported being sexually assaulted in 2019 at an East Windsor hotel. Her case was featured in an NBC Stations investigation highlighting how rarely survivors who report sexual violence see convictions. After years of waiting, her attacker, Donovan Austin, pleaded guilty last year.
NBC Connecticut normally does not identify the victims of sexual assault, unless they agree to be identified.
The case returned to court recently because one of the charges Austin originally pleaded guilty to had been incorrectly assigned. The charge had been written into law after the 2019 assault, requiring the court to revise and resentence.
Prospere attended the hearing, hoping for closure. Instead, she said she faced hostility from people she believed were there supporting Austin.
“They’ve been verbally accosting me the entire time,” she said. “It’s been essentially abuse on top of abuse — making this take so long, and then this is harassment after abuse.”
Advocates say what happened to Prospere is not unusual.
Beth Hamilton, executive director of the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence, notes that survivors who speak publicly often face backlash.
“Retaliation in some form is pretty common, unfortunately,” Hamilton said. “The more public survivors are, the higher the chance of retaliation.”
NBC Connecticut Investigates has not been able to identify or contact the women who confronted Prospere outside the courthouse.
The broader data underscores the challenges survivors face. An NBC analysis of law enforcement outcomes across the country found conviction rates for rape and sodomy cases often in the single digits. In Hartford, the conviction rate for violent sex crimes that occurred in 2021 and 2022 was just 3.6%. Hartford Police have not commented on the findings.
For Prospere, the legal process has already stretched on for more than half a decade. The latest court appearance was supposed to be a step toward resolution. Instead, she says, it became another reminder of how difficult seeking justice can be.
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