Two full years after St. Paul graduate Owen Labrie was charged with sexual assault (and was found guilty on three misdemeanor counts of it and therefore sentenced to just one year in prison), his victim decided to shed her anonymity for the first time. Speaking with the Today show, Chessy Prout talked to Savannah Guthrie about how the trial changed her.

Originally, Prout's anonymity was protected by law. "It's been two years now since the whole ordeal, and I feel ready to stand up and own what happened to me, and I'm gonna make sure other people, other girls, other boys, know that they can own it, too, and that they don't have to be ashamed either," the now-17-year-old said. "Although it was scary, and although it was pretty difficult, I wouldn't be where I am today without having been able to speak up for myself during that time."

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TODAY

When asked how she felt about her assailant's sentencing, Prout said she was disappointed: "They said they didn't believe that he did it knowingly, and that frustrated me a lot because he definitely did do it knowingly, and the fact that he was still able to pull the wool over a group of people's eyes bothered me a lot and just disgusted in me some way."

She also remembers being asked questions by the defense team that made her uncomfortable during the trial. When repeatedly questioned about why she was "hazy" about the details after the assault, "I looked at the defense attorney and said 'I was raped.'" This sentiment has been expressed by other sexual assault victims whose trials have received national attention.

Watch Prout's entire Today show interview here.

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Tess Koman
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Tess Koman covers breaking (food) news, opinion pieces, and features on larger happenings in the food world. She oversees editorial content on Delish. Her work has appeared on Cosmopolitan.com, Elle.com, and Esquire.com.