The Lionhearted Podcast

The Lionhearted is a true crime podcast spotlighting the brave badasses who spend their lives fighting the one thing no one wants to talk about - child sexual abuse. And that's why we call them the lionhearted. Join Host and Forensic Interviewer Andrea Harner as she gets up close and personal with these unforgettable stories.

Hi there, it's Andrea, your host and forensic interviewer. In case you don't know what that is, I interview kids who've been abused, mostly child sexual abuse. Well, after years of doing this, I just couldn't stomach the fact that 90 percent of the time these kids get no justice. Fuck that. I had to do something or I was going to become a vigilante or knock it out of bed in the morning. So I ranted enough to my friend and producer Amanda.

And she said, why don't we start a podcast and try to do something about it?

Obviously she's brilliant and knew how to talk me off the ledge.

So we knew we wanted to focus on the helpers, like Mister Rogers says, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." Well, these are the helpers.

They're who we call the lionhearted because they're brave enough to prosecute child sexual abuse, to investigate it, to write and make movies about it, while most people won't even talk about it or admit it's even a pervasive problem.

I mean, how does it sit with you to know that one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused? I am not okay with that. The fact that even just talking about child sexual abuse is so taboo is great for the offenders because the soul crushing crime happens in the silence surrounding it.

So if you're as outraged as I clearly am that children are getting hurt, and that the system fails them over and over again, or want to learn how to better protect your kids, or just love true crime podcasts featuring people on the front lines, you've come to the right place. The Lionhearted podcast is for you. Join me as we hear personal and unforgettable stories this season.

Here are teasers of these stories.

Writer Stephen, at age 13, is so excited to go to his Jewish summer camp, only to have his childhood hijacked and life derailed by the beloved camp director. So how does he fight back?

Patty, a seasoned prosecutor of crimes against children, gets handed her biggest case yet unsee. And she gears up for a massive court battle.

Nova's stepdad does ungodly things to her while espousing godly scriptures. Well, now she's a special victims detective carrying a gun and a badge.

Fifty years after the fact. You heard me right. Five zero. Filmmaker Jennifer realizes she was victimized by a US Olympian and he now needs... To go down along with his name on the walls of prestigious institutions.

To hear these stories and more, go to lionheartedpod.com or download for free wherever you get your podcasts.

Darkness to Light, a leading nonprofit focused on child sexual abuse prevention, also provides links to resources for support. Full disclosure: Andrea Harner is currently Board Chairperson of Darkness to Light.

Trigger Warning:

Please note that this episode contains depictions of sexual violence that some people may find disturbing. If any of the content in this podcast has brought anything up for you, please reach out or speak to someone you trust.

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Host: Andrea Harner

Producer: Andrea Harner and Amanda Kelso

Editing: Kevin Tosi

Theme Song: Teddy Duran