Worthy Convos: Project Beloved

There isn’t a word in the English language that can describe the pain the Matheson family has endured since losing their Molly Jane in April of 2017. But determined to use her daughter’s story as a catalyst for change, Tracy Matheson found the strength to start Project Beloved: The Molly Jane Mission, a nonprofit devoted to changing the conversation about sexual assault and empowering survivors to find their voices.

Through several initiatives, Project Beloved is creating a world where survivors are heard and believed, perpetrators are prosecuted, and justice is served. Since its founding, the organization has promoted trauma informed care through Beloved Bundles, a clothing and essentials care package, installed soft interview rooms in police stations around the country, and passed a bill into law, which helps law enforcement identify patterns of offense before an offender’s behavior continues or escalates. The mission is in the name: to make survivors of sexual assault feel beloved.

One part of Project Beloved’s mission is to change the conversation about sexual assault. Where and how should we start? 

We need to start at the dinner table. With our friends. With our colleagues. With our children. Our default conclusion is to downplay the credibility of the accuser and elevate the credibility of the accused. We have to recognize this thought pattern and be intentional about changing it. Those who report sexual assault do so at tremendous personal risk. They know the likelihood of blame and shame and additional trauma exists. It should not be that way. It is not that way with any other crime type. When we hear about a report of sexual assault, our first thought response should be one of compassion and support for the individual who experienced it. Our outrage should be with the perpetrator. When we place the blame with the perpetrator and not what the victim was wearing, what he/she had consumed, where he/she was, etc., we create a safe place to report sexual assault. When sexual assaults are reported they can be investigated, and ultimately rapists can be held accountable.

What is your definition of justice?

Justice does not always mean a guilty verdict. Justice is going to look differently from one victim/survivor to the next. If a survivor chooses to go the route of reporting their sexual assault to law enforcement, and their experience is one where they are believed, supported, fought for, and treated with respect…that can be justice. Even if the outcome is not a guilty verdict. If a survivor does not report to law enforcement but rather shares with a friend or family member and they are listened to and treated with compassion and dignity…that also is justice.

HB 3106 was signed into law in 2019. It is now known as Molly Jane’s Law. How would you describe that moment and/or experience? 

Watching Molly Jane’s Law become law in the state of Texas was an incredible moment in this journey no parent should ever take. I was told from the beginning to not get my hopes up because very few bills actually make it across the finish line, especially on their first time. While I appreciated the candor, I also knew we had to make it to the Governor’s desk. We did not have two more years to wait. This mattered too much and could save lives. Watching HB 3106 essentially sail through the process was surreal. It was enthusiastically supported by Republicans and Democrats alike. This was very important to me because it is not an issue that leans right or left.

What is Trauma Informed Care and how is Project Beloved partnering with law enforcement to provide TIC? 

Trauma informed care is often referred to as a trauma informed response and is considered a best practice. It is responding to someone who has experienced trauma through a lens of understanding trauma and its impact on a victim. The experts can show us exactly what happens in the brain when trauma happens. It does not look the same from one victim to another. It also does not look like what we thought it did for so long. We now know better. And when we know better, we do better. Trauma informed care is one way to do better.

Project Beloved partners with law enforcement agencies around the country providing them with Soft Interview Rooms. Cold, stark, and sterile is not a trauma informed environment. Talking to victims in a space that looks exactly like what is portrayed on television is not delivering trauma informed care. So, we design the space and give it a makeover. We provide comfortable chairs, pleasant light sources, a rug, a soft blanket and a weighted blanket, decorative items, and artwork for the walls. We also include a diffuser and stress balls. When we are finished, the room looks more like a living room and less like a law enforcement agency. The hope is that when a victim is asked to come and tell a story, they do not want to tell to a person they likely do not want to tell it to, they will feel a little less nervous/agitated/anxious sitting in a Soft Interview Room. Ultimately the goal is to gather the best evidence so that an arrest can be made, the case can be indicted, and a rapist can go to prison.

Why was it important for you to work with these students? 

I was honored to be asked to work with the students at TCU. I have a strong connection with college age students. Maybe that is because Molly was 22 when she was murdered. I also believe the young people get it in a way the rest of us are still trying. They represent hope to me. My experience working with them was better than I even imagined it could be. The end result is truly spectacular.

Tracy and Molly Jane Matheson

What would Molly Jane want people to know about her?

Molly would want you to know she was the favorite child. She was not, but she was the only girl with three brothers, and she was certain this brought her status in the family. We laughed about it then, and we do still today.

She would want you to know she was a proud Razorback. She loved calling the Hogs.

She would want you to know if you were someone she considered a friend, there is little she would not do to help you. She took her role as friend really seriously and was a good and devoted friend to many.

She would want you to know she had a fear of birds and also little yellow fish when snorkeling.

She would want you to know laughter is good for the soul and if you needed a good laugh, she would do her best to make you laugh.

She would want you to know she wanted to be a social worker and planned to work with troubled youth.

She would want you to know she was my best friend.

When do you feel her presence the most? 

I feel her presence when I am doing the work of Project Beloved. Molly would be here by my side doing this work with me if she could. I also feel her presence when I see a butterfly flutter by at just the right moment or when a cardinal lands in my yard. I feel her presence when I see a rainbow in the sky. I feel her presence when I listen to certain songs. I feel her presence when I am with my kids and husband, and we are laughing and remembering Molly and all of the light she brought to our lives.