At age 13, Jennifer D’Andrea’s daughter came to her with any mother’s nightmare.

 “A member of our family had been abusing her between the ages … she feels roughly between the ages of six years old and 12 years old,” said D’Andrea.

Her next moves were swift: She reported it to police and the individual abusing her daughter for six years was charged. Still, D’Andrea and her daughter hit roadblocks.

“I believed her. I had friends that believed her. I had family that believed her. The investigator, the ADA, the social worker, they all believed her. And then to hear, ‘well, the community, you know, jurors don't want to convict because they don't want to believe that it happened,’ like, what does that say about us as a community?” said D’Andrea.

Because victims are wary of someone believing them, experts aren’t confident with final data numbers. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, more than 75% of sexual assaults go unreported.

Out of every 1,000 sexual assaults, only 230 are reported to police. Of those, 46 are estimated to lead to an arrest and only nine statistically make it to court.

Orange County hosted its annual “Start By Believing” day on April 5, which D’Andrea attended as an advocate and believer.

“There was a moment where I wanted to believe that it didn't happen. But there was never, ever a moment that I doubted her,” said D’Andrea.

Her daughter is one of millions navigating a life after experiencing some form of sexual violence. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, nationwide, 81% of women and 43% of men have experienced some form of sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime.

Six years later, D’Andrea drops off her daughter at SUNY Orange classes, in awe of the strong woman she’s become.

“It has a lot to do with the fact that, you know, she came forward and she received so much of the support. It's a huge part of the healing process and it's visible in her every day,” said D’Andrea.