Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 818

Today's special guest is Paulie O'Bryne, a returning NAASCA family member who just happens to be a Canadian hockey player / coach and abuse survivor, as well as founder of 1in5. In 2006, Paulie was a 21 year old coach / trainer of a team in the Minor Hockey League. He was brutally attacked, sexually assaulted and raped by his employer, the President of the League, over a 45 minute period of time. Although his perpetrator was convicted and given a short prison term, Paulie now tells us the course of his life has been changed forever, his goals, dreams and ambitions crushed. Originally from Nova Scotia and now living in Ontario, Mr O'Byrne is drawing attention to the problem of sexual assault against men and boys in Canada, where 1 in 5 males are victimized. At a golf tournament with fellow survivor and hockey great Theo Fleury, O'Bryne came up with the idea to stick handle a hockey ball across Canada to raise awareness about these alarming, and has he puts it "unacceptable and disgusting" statistics. Paulie says that apart from raising awareness, the main goal of fundraising is to help build and fund community based recovery centers specifically for sexual assaulted men and boys. O'Bryne wishes that there were more options for men like him struggling with the feelings and emotions that happen after sexual assault. He says that 1 in 5 will be part of the solution to creating Canadian communities.