A Fight Back Woman: Keri Potts on Surviving Sexual Assault Abroad and Taking Your Power Back

What happens when survival turns into a lifelong fight for justice—and change?

In this episode of True Crime Prevention, we sit down with Keri Potts, President and Founder of A Fight Back Woman., to share her powerful story of survival, advocacy, and empowerment. In November 2008, Keri survived an assault and attempted rape while studying abroad in Rome, Italy.

What followed was a grueling, two-year battle through the Italian criminal justice system—one that ultimately ended with her attacker pleading guilty. Keri is one of the few American women to successfully press sexual assault charges internationally.

Since then, she has used her voice and platform to fight for survivors everywhere. An award-winning communications professional and TEDx speaker, Keri has worked with Congress, national organizations, and the RAINN Speakers Bureau to advocate for Americans sexually assaulted or abused overseas. She is also a state-certified rape crisis counselor and victims’ advocate, and a leading voice in conversations about sexual violence, healthy relationships, and female empowerment.

In this conversation, we talk about:

-Surviving sexual assault while traveling abroad

-Navigating a foreign justice system as an American survivor

-Turning trauma into advocacy and action

-What “fighting back” really means—for women and families -How awareness and prevention can save lives