Maryland Survivor Ends Rape Kit Destruction in Hometown

When Sabrina Lassegue was just 15, she endured an unthinkable trauma in Bethesda, Maryland. But what happened next made things even worse: the medical professional who administered her rape kit discouraged her from pressing charges, and when she later tried to seek justice, she learned her evidence had been destroyed.

That moment of injustice became Lassegue's mission. She channeled her pain into advocacy for Maryland's SB 615, legislation that finally passed in 2023 and creates a comprehensive tracking system for sexual assault evidence collection kits.

The law means that what happened to Lassegue can't happen to other survivors in Maryland. Rape kits can no longer be destroyed, and law enforcement must account for every kit collected.

Filmmaker Sterling Hampton captured Lassegue's advocacy work in "Fenice," a 2024 documentary that follows her efforts to pass the bill while also competing for Miss Maryland and running her production company, Extinguished Youth. Hampton, a two-time Sundance-nominated director, wanted to show something powerful: you never know what battles people are fighting beneath the surface.

"I got to see her in real time transmuting darkness into light by passing legislation banning the destruction of rape kits in her hometown after hers being thrown out," Hampton shared in a recent interview.

Why This Inspires

Lassegue's story shows the incredible power of turning personal pain into progress that protects others. She didn't let a broken system break her spirit. Instead, she became living proof that survivors can reclaim their voices and create lasting change.

Hampton believes we all have the power to make our experiences useful. By sharing her story and fighting for policy change, Lassegue helped heal herself while ensuring future survivors have better options than she did.

The documentary uses powerful imagery, including scenes of Lassegue submerged in water, to represent the weight and pressure survivors carry. The film's haunting score reflects the emotions people battle internally, even when they appear calm on the outside.

Now Lassegue and Hampton are collaborating on their second project together, a coming-of-age dramedy set during Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration. For Lassegue, creating and advocating aren't separate paths—they're both part of her mission to transform trauma into hope.

Maryland survivors now have stronger protections because one woman refused to let her story end with injustice.