Julia Lillethun - Survivor Advocate

Julia Lillethun bravely shares her story of resilience and healing after surviving a brutally and sexually violent attack by a serial rapist. She talks about the physical and emotional trauma she experienced, as well as the judgment and victim-blaming she faced. Julia also discusses the challenges of overcoming self-blame and accepting what happened. She emphasizes the importance of changing the internal dialogue and reframing the narrative to focus on survival and making the right decisions. 

In this episode, Julia highlights the impact of trauma on her family and children, and the difficulties they faced together. She recounts the unexpected phone call that led to the resolution of her case and the legal process that followed. Julia also reflects on the frustration with prison sentencing and the need for a shift in societal norms to address victim-blaming and stigma. 

Throughout the conversation, Julia stresses the importance of belief systems and the need for survivors to be heard and understood. She talks about the impact on her personally of prison-based Victim Impact Panels and her experiences working with inmates, and the empowerment she gained through speaking in prisons.

Julia talks with Penny about the importance of creating safe spaces for survivors and the need for more services for victims. She also shares key actions to increase personal safety.

To learn more about Victim Impact Panels, please visit the Montana Department of Corrections’ website HERE. 
To learn more about Jane Doe No More, please visit their website HERE.

To learn more about the Yellowstone Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit our website HERE.

Host: Penny Ronning
Writer: Penny Ronning
Producers: Penny Ronning, Ty Lowe
Editor: Ty Lowe
Sound Designer/Engineer: Ty Lowe
Music: Ty Lowe, Konstantin Klimov
Graphic Design: Rae Clark
Website: Justin Townsend

Julia Lillethun Bio

Julia Lillethun was born and raised in Montana. Her family consisted of her father, mother, and 2 brothers. While researching her family history, Julia discovered that she also had eight half-siblings and her father had an alias and was living two separate lives. 

Julia has two adult children and five grandchildren. She loves spending time with family and friends and enjoys the outdoors, fishing, and camping. She also enjoys quilting, sewing, string art, and other hobbies. 2024 marks her 27th year as the director of the Yellowstone County Spelling Bee in Montana. 

Julia’s childhood was filled with trauma at the hands of her alcoholic, abusive father. He could not hold down a job for long, so her family moved often. He was a ranch hand, and her mother was a nurse. Their family alternated from ranch to city life frequently. This made Julia learn to adapt quickly to survive. 

Julia is a cancer survivor as well as a survivor of a violent attack in 1999. Julia was raped, stabbed several times, and left for dead. She now uses her voice to help others and to try to change the stigma and narrative of sexual assault. Julia is a survivor speaker member for Jane Doe No More and a volunteer speaker for the Montana Department of Corrections, Victim Impact Panels. 

Another passion for Julia is working on legislation for survivors. “It is so fulfilling to help others see they don’t have to fight alone and that there is hope, love, acceptance, and support to assist them in healing, rising from the ashes, and emerging from the darkness.”