Marlee Liss - Storytelling, Somatic Healing and Re-Imagining Justice for Violence
Listen as Jane and Marlee Liss discuss healing after sexual violence, reconnecting with your body, why the court system so often fails survivors, and how restorative justice and a rethink of masculinity could offer a better path forward.
When the body feels like a “crime scene”, how do you heal?
An all-round brilliant woman, Marlee is not only a colleague we admire, but someone that we’re now lucky enough to call a friend.
Marlee Liss is an award-winning speaker, leading survivor advocate, author and somatic educator. Her personal survivor case set precedent in the North American legal system, and in 2024 she founded Survivors 4 Justice Reform, a global, volunteer-run, survivor-led coalition that works to advance policy change that challenges the failures and violence of punitive, carceral systems.
Marlee shares how writing became central to her healing, from late-night scribbling to get the feelings out of her body, to a way of connecting with others. Her forthcoming book, If I Had Known Then (February 9th 2027), follows her experience of healing and fighting for justice after trauma. This was a conversation we were looking forward to for months, and it’s one you won’t want to miss.
This is a 20-minute preview
♡
This is a 20-minute preview ♡
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Key Moments
00:22 - Expanding the conversation
01:04 - Writing after trauma
03:01 - Storytelling and empathy
04:23 - Dance: Detachment & reconnection
07:06 - Somatic healing: Our bodies have wisdom
11:46 - How the criminal legal system fails survivors
16:23 - We don't have to be complacent
18:37 - Justice doesn’t look the same for all survivors
19:30 - Survivors 4 Justice Reform
Key Topics
Links and Mentions
• Marlee's memoir, If I Had Known Then, releases February 2027 with Penguin Random House.
• Visit Marlee's website to download her free justice resource
• Find out more about Survivors 4 Justice Reform
• Instagram: @marleeliss | @survivors4justicereform
• Join the coalition: www.survivors4justicereform.com/join
All sources, statistics, multimedia clips, and music credits are available on Substack.
Explore more episodes.
Episode 01
First Encounters
We take a look at first encounters: with the justice system, with telling someone, and with the law. We're looking beyond the headlines to the root issues underneath, and exploring the first steps in the process for victims: disclosure and the decision to go to the police.
Episode 02
You Have the Right to an Attorney
We're trying to understand how we can better insert victims' rights into the legal process, without superseding the rights for accused individuals.
Episode 03
The Perfect Victim
We're looking at what makes an ideal victim in the eyes of the law, and society, and who is more likely to be believed.
Episode 04
Not Guilty
We're looking at what it takes to get a verdict of guilty or not guilty, and what it means.
Episode 05
Record Scratch Rewind
We're going backwards so we can map our way forwards. A deep dive into the legal history and case precedent that shapes how sexual assault is prosecuted today.
Episode 06 · Latest
I Went Through the Justice System and All I Got Was a Branded Stress Ball
A raw, powerful account of navigating the courtroom as a sexual assault survivor, and what justice (and the lack of it) actually feels like.
About The Defendants
The Defendants is a podcast exploring how sexual assault cases move through the justice system… and why it never seems to work in favour of victims. We want to know what has to change within the system for it to actually work, and we are interrogating what justice means in the aftermath of trauma. This is a podcast where we figure out exactly how this system fails, why, and what to do about it.
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Get in Touch
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Media appearances: daltonhiggins@gmail.com
Resources for Survivors
SA Survivor Resource Document - This document contains Canadian, U.S, and global sources to find guidance, information, and aid for survivors of sexual assault. Detailed descriptions of each resource within the document.
Our Team
Jane Aster Roe - Executive Producer, Host
Rachel Arundel - Executive Producer
Katie Jensen - Executive Producer, Editor, Sound Designer
Jessica Strachan - Story Producer
Charlotte Gregg - Research Producer
Isis Madrid - Editor, Sound Designer
Rachel Bromberg - Fact Checker
Dawson Fleming - Production Assistant
Michelle Crossman - Mental Health Consultant
Lindsey Keene - Outreach Coordinator
Cheryl Grossman - Legal
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Kathlyn Gardner - Events