Summary of Our story of rape and reconciliation | Thordis Elva and Tom Stranger

00:00:00 - 00:15:00

This video tells the story of a man and woman who meet years after he raped her. They discuss their experience and work towards forgiveness. The video also includes the stories of other women who have been raped and have found reconciliation.

• 00:00:00 Tom Stranger was 18 when he went on an international exchange program to Iceland. He met 16-year-old Thordis Elva and they started a relationship. Thordis became very ill after drinking alcohol at a school Christmas dance and Tom took her home. The next day, when Thordis tried to see Tom, he refused to acknowledge what had happened as rape and instead saw it as consensual sex. Years later, after Tom had left Iceland, Thordis realized that what had happened was rape and began to heal.
• 00:05:00 A man and woman have been involved in a sexual assault nine years earlier. After discussing the situation online, they decide to meet in person in Cape Town, South Africa to forgive each other. The meeting is difficult, but ultimately healing.
• 00:10:00 A group of South African women share their stories of rape and reconciliation, describing the ways that the experience has affected them both individually and collectively. Despite the challenges, the group finds empowerment in the experience.
• 00:15:00 This man talks about his experience of rape and how it has affected him and his partner. He emphasizes the importance of speaking out about rape and bringing attention to the fact that it is not just a women's issue.