He knocked on my door and said: 'I believe you'

Lives Less Ordinary

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.6 • 814 Ratings

🗓️ 14 November 2022

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

How the friendship of a stranger helped Betsy Sailor when she needed it most. Betsy was living alone at university in the late 1970s when a man broke into her apartment and raped her at knifepoint. He was later caught, and it turned out he was a student, and a player on the successful Penn State football team. Taking him to court was a daunting task but then a fellow football player, Irv Pankey, stepped up and told Betsy he was on her side and would look after her. Their remarkable friendship changed the course of Betsy’s life.

Film clip: Betsy and Irv/ Nicole Noren/ ESPN Films

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Rebecca Vincent

Transcript

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0:00.0	You are about to listen to a BBC podcast and I'd like to tell you a bit about what goes into making one.
0:06.5	I'm Sadata Sese, an assistant commissioner of podcasts for BBC Sounds.
0:11.1	I pull a lot of levers to support a diverse range of podcasts on all sorts of subjects,
0:16.0	relationships, identity, comedy, even one that mixes poetry, music and inner city life.
0:22.4	So one day I'll be helping host develop their ideas, the next fact-checking, a feature,
0:28.3	and the next looking at how a podcast connects with its audience.
0:32.3	And maybe that's you.
0:33.6	So if you like this podcast, check out some others on BBC Sounds.
0:41.2	Music So if you like this podcast, check out some others on BBC Sounds. He puts his hand out and introduces himself as hello.
0:48.7	I was in the courtroom the other day and I just wanted to let you know that I heard what you said,
0:56.9	and I believe you. And you won't have to be alone. You know, I'm here. You won't have to do
1:05.4	things by yourself. I will protect you.
1:18.7	This is a story about what can happen when you reach out to a stranger and do the right thing.
1:21.5	We'll go to some dark places.
1:25.2	You're going to hear about sexual violence from early on.
1:30.0	But ultimately, it's about what happens when somebody says the words, I believe you. You're listening to Lives Less Ordinary, an original podcast from the BBC World Service.
1:42.9	I'm Mabin Azar, bringing you powerful, personal stories
1:46.8	from people who are willing to share the most intimate
1:49.9	and defining moments of their life with you.
1:58.9	I want to introduce you to Betsy Saylor.
2:02.6	She's strong and independent.
2:05.4	And one thing you need to know about Betsy at the start of all of this
	...

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