[katv.com]Police department creates 'soft interview room' to accommodate sexual assault survivors

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (TND) — A police department in Missouri debuted the first "soft interview room" in the state to accommodate sexual assault survivors and make them feel more comfortable during the interview process.

The Kansas City Missouri Police Department posted before and after photos of the room as it went through a big makeover. Police said soft rooms act as a "critical component of Trauma-Informed Care, allowing survivors to feel physically and emotionally safe."

[kcpd.org]KCPD Installs First “Soft Interview Room” In Missouri by Project Beloved

After a total makeover, KCPD now has the first “Soft Room” in Missouri installed by the nonprofit Project Beloved.

Detectives from the Special Victims Unit (SVU) will use the soft room to accommodate and interview survivors of sexual assault and trauma. A soft room is a critical component of Trauma-Informed Care, allowing survivors to feel physically and emotionally safe. This can have a positive impact on the interview process.

The makeover included carpet, art work, furniture, and lighting. KCPD is grateful for another nonprofit, the Police Foundation of Kansas City, which funded this remodel. This project would not be possible without them.

Also pictured is what old interview room like to show the drastic improvement. Project Beloved is based out of Texas

[kctv5.com]Police department creates ‘soft’ interview room for assault survivors

The Kansas City Police Department unveiled its first “soft room,” the first of its kind in Missouri.

The soft room will be used to interview survivors of sexual assault and trauma.

The department said a soft room is a “critical” component of trauma-informed care and allows survivors to feel physically and emotionally safe. It can also have a positive impact on the interview process.

[kcur.org]Kansas City Police built a 'soft room' for interviewing victims, inspired by a mother's tragedy

Tracy Matheson's organization Project Beloved is funding makeovers of rooms that police use to interview sexual assault victims — including in Kansas City, Missouri. The project was born after the violent death of Matheson's daughter.

[wbay.com]UW-Green Bay has Wisconsin’s first Project Beloved soft interview room

The UW-Green Bay Police Department is helping to support sexual assault survivors with a new soft interview room on campus.

It’s a victim-centered approach, a first in Wisconsin, sponsored by the non-profit “Project Beloved”.

There are many obstacles when seeking justice for sexual assault survivors.

That first step is reporting what happened to them. It can be one of the toughest hurdles.

[npr.org]After a tragedy, a mother wants to soften the rooms where police interview victims

Tracy Matheson's mission for the past several years grew out of a parent’s worst nightmare.

Molly Jane, Matheson’s 22-year-old daughter, was raped and murdered in her Fort Worth, Texas-area apartment on April 10, 2017. Her killer, Reginald Kimbro, went on to murder a second woman, Megan Getrum, 36, just days later.

Kimbro was sentenced to multiple life sentences for those murders and additional sexual assaults in 2022.

Since her daughter’s death, Matheson has channeled her pain into her nonprofit, Project Beloved: The Molly Jane Mission, an organization dedicated to advocating for sexual assault victims. The group's name was inspired by Molly Jane Matheson’s wrist tattoo that said “Beloved.”

[publicnewsservice.org]TX group works to soften trauma for sexual assault survivors

A north Texas nonprofit organization is working to reduce stress for trauma survivors creates "soft" police station interview rooms. They paint the walls and add comfortable furniture, lamps, rugs and artwork to make them less cold and sterile.

[wsls.com]National Crime Victims’ Rights Week brings light to Soft Interview Room in Lynchburg

A way to make victims feel safe — that’s the goal of the new Soft Interview Room for the Lynchburg Victim Witness Program.

[dentonrc.com]New ‘soft’ interview room at Denton police station designed to set crime victims at ease

When victims of violent crimes across the nation enter a police station for an interview, they can probably expect to find themselves in the same barren room that suspects do.

Just a table and chairs is suitable for some interviews. However, as victims of violent crimes tell detectives about what is likely one of the most traumatic moments of their lives, the typical interview room environment offers little comfort.

Tracy Matheson is all too familiar with this issue after her 22-year-old daughter, Molly Jane Matheson, was raped and murdered. The loss led her down a deep path of research into firsthand accounts from victims that many feel unheard and uncomfortable during the criminal investigation process.

[news5cleveland.com]Sexual assault survivor helps create welcoming interview rooms at law enforcement agencies

MEDINA, Ohio — A local sexual assault survivor is on a mission to help others who have also lived through traumatic situations.

Kelsey Lambrakis, of North Ridgeville, is bringing awareness and helping to make changes at local police departments and sheriff's offices so that victims feel believed, supported and comforted.

In 2022, Lambrakis was the victim of a sexual assault in Medina County. The crime was committed by a man she knows.

"It really, truly imploded every inch of my life," Lambrakis said.

[www.mystateline.com]Freeport Police redesign interview room to be more welcoming to trauma survivors

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Freeport Police have given one of its interview rooms a makeover to accommodate survivors of violence.

The new “soft interview” room features a “trauma-informed” design after being repainted and carpeted and given new furnishings to make the room more comfortable.

[wrex.com]New Freeport Police interview room aims to help domestic violence victims

FREEPORT — The Freeport Police Department is showcasing a new “soft” design to it's interview room, based on research that shows Trauma Informed Care and victim-centered approaches are the best practices when interviewing victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

[youtube.com]Webinar: Ready to Build a New Soft Interview Room. Learn How from the Experts!

Join Tracy Matheson, founder of Project Beloved and Claude Turcotte, CEO of MaestroVision in this educational webinar on how to build a trauma-informed soft interview room at your organization with the right technology. PLUS get a live tour of Minot Police Department's soft interview room.

[KUER.org]To ease victim’s trauma, the U’s new police station has a soft interview room

In the University of Utah’s recently unveiled police station, you’ll find something new. The facility includes a “soft interview room” — a space meant to help sexual assault victims feel more comfortable reporting crimes.

The room looks like a therapist’s office, or maybe even a spa. Warm lamps illuminate teal and gray couches, draped with weighted blankets. A diffuser emits a washed out green glow on the soft, felt walls.

A painting hangs on the emerald green back wall. “A forest with purple flowers and the sun coming through on the other side of the trees, sort of relating hope through the art,” said Hilary White, the crime victim advocate coordinator for the University of Utah Police.

Until now, everyone — suspects and victims — were interviewed in the same cold, sterile room.

[brproud.com]LSU joins non-profit to change treatment of sexual assault survivors

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) ––– College campuses across the country are no strangers to sexual assault cases, but how and where police speak to survivors greatly impacts the quality of investigations.

Thirteen percent of all college students experience some form of sexual assault, but only about thirty-one percent report an assault to the police. But reporting means police often have to interview the survivor to get the assailant off the streets.

After suffering a tragic loss, Matheson decided more needed to be done to protect survivors. “Project Beloved is a nonprofit that I founded in the aftermath of what I would describe as a parent’s worst nightmare. My daughter, Molly Jane, was raped and murdered April 10th, 2017,” Matheson explained.

[star-telegram.com]First rapist arrested under Molly Jane’s Law pleads guilty to Arlington sexual assault

A 26-year-old man pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault Wednesday and was sentenced to 25 years in prison, the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office said in a news release. Jessie DeWayne Ray was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at gunpoint in an Arlington park in 2019. Ray recorded the assault on his iPhone and the video was discovered in May 2020 when Tyler police arrested him during a narcotics investigation. When Tyler police entered information from the video into an FBI database known as the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program, they found it was a match for the then-unsolved Arlington case.

[fox4news.com]New law inspired by Tarrant County case helps lead to rapist's capture

FORT WORTH, Texas - A Tarrant County judge sentenced a man to 25 years in prison for a 2019 sexual assault. Prosecutors say it was a new law that helped lead to the arrest.

Molly Jane’s Law was passed after the murder of a Fort Worth woman in 2017. Just months after the new law took effect, prosecutors say it was used to track down a sexual assault suspect who pleaded guilty Wednesday. The law was both inspired by a Tarrant County case and used to prosecute a Tarrant County case. It was on a trail at Arlington’s Canyon Park where a man, later identified as Jessie Dewayne Ray, attacked.

[lsu.edu]LSU POLICE DEPARTMENT FIRST IN THE SEC TO IMPLEMENT “SOFT INTERVIEW ROOM”

The LSU Police Department is the first in the SEC to implement a Project Beloved “soft interview room” for victims of trauma or sexual violence. The new room features comfortable lighting, furniture, weighted blankets and items that are intended to help survivors talk to police about what happened.

[abcactionnews.com]One mom’s mission to support sexual assault victims during investigations

Molly was more than a daughter to Tracy Matheson. The two were more like best friends.

“It’s like she’s my right hand. I could count on her for anything,” Matheson recalled.

Matheson remembers Molly’s humor and kindness and how she believed in the good in people. But it was evil that took her daughter’s life. At 22, Molly was assaulted and killed by a man who was accused of prior attacks and even left DNA evidence behind.

[nbcnews.com/dateline]Watch the Dateline episode "Wreckage" now

Our story begins with 22-year-old Molly Matheson.

In 2017, Molly was working part-time at a lingerie store in Fort Worth, Texas, where she was the model employee.

But on Monday, April 10, 2017, Molly Matheson was late for work. A couple of hours into Molly’s shift, her boss began to worry. This wasn’t like Molly at all.

So she called Molly’s emergency contact. Her mother, Tracy, answered the phone.

Tracy quickly drove to Molly’s apartment, already feeling frantic.

And when she entered Molly’s bathroom, she found her daughter on the floor of the shower.

Molly was crumpled over, not moving.

In the News

Tracy Matheson's organization Project Beloved is funding makeovers of rooms that police use to interview sexual assault victims — including in Kansas City, Missouri. The project was born after the violent death of Matheson's daughter.