Our Mission

To prevent sexual assault through awareness and education, and to empower survivors to reclaim their lives through access to trained advocacy networks.

Our Motivation

We can think of no other violation that cuts through a person’s soul like rape. This unspeakably violent crime touches the most intimate part of a person’s being and tears it apart. In the wake of such destruction, hope and happiness can seem lost forever.

Because the very nature of sexual assault is private and almost always shrouded in secrecy and shame, the emotions a victim experiences are often difficult to talk about. This can leave victims feeling even more isolated.

But talking about the crime is crucial, both in terms of healing and prevention. I hope that the information and links provided on this website will help victims of rape feel that they are not alone in their journey. There is an active community of advocates, law enforcement personnel, government agencies, and fellow survivors who can help you reclaim your life.

Our Name

When our founder set out to create a place where survivors and their families could turn for information and encouragement, she knew we needed to select just the right name. Her own personal journey replayed in all of our heads as we brainstormed ideas. All of a sudden it became crystal clear.

We realized that the phrase that seemed to repeat again and again in her presentations would make just the right name for the organization - Not Just Me!

It was not just her that day in the van when she was abducted and raped… her children were victimized as well.

It was not just her who had suffered at the hands of this rapist in the past. It came to light that there were at least five other victims who were violated by this man.

It was not just her who was left reeling from the aftereffects of the sexual assault. she watched her husband, her parents, and other family members and friends grieve for what her family had lost as a result of this crime.

It was not just her alone who discovered the strength to take the case to trial. During her four-year legal battle, she was supported by numerous advocates, law enforcement personnel, and members of the State Attorney’s Office. They kept encouraging her to push on toward justice even when giving up seemed like the best thing to do.

And finally, it is not just her who is a victim of rape. In the United States, someone is sexually assaulted approximately every 68 seconds — more than 430,000 people each year.

You are most certainly not alone.

“Anyone can be a victim of sexual violence. Anyone can heal from sexual violence. Everyone can help create a world free of sexual violence.”

About Our Founder

Julie was raised in Miami, Florida, and attended the University of Virginia, where she received a degree in Government and Foreign Affairs. Upon graduation in 1993, she moved to Washington, D.C., to work as a legal researcher for the Department of Justice.

Julie later returned to Florida to attend graduate school at the University of Miami, where she earned a Master’s degree specializing in Latin American Studies and International Intelligence.

In October 2002, Julie survived every mother’s worst nightmare and was thrust into a four-year journey through Florida’s criminal justice system.

She has since dedicated her life to advocacy work and travels globally to speak about her experience as a rape survivor. Julie has worked with DNA analysts and technology companies, law enforcement agencies, advocacy groups, healthcare providers, attorneys, judges, and even foreign governments to demonstrate how proper communication and coordination with victims can help produce strong survivors.

In addition to being the Founder and Executive Director of the Not Just Me Foundation, Julie Weil is an active member of several anti-sexual-assault–related organizations’ speaker bureaus, previously involved with the Rape Kit Action Project, and a member of the Palm Beach County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence (FCASV) and the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC).

Julie has presented at forensic nurse trainings across the country and helped pass legislation at both the state and federal levels by lending her survivor voice for system change. Legislative accomplishments include helping pass the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting (SAFER) Act in 2013, a federal law pertaining to the national rape kit backlog that is now part of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization. In Florida, she was involved in state wide legislation that lead to a 2014 audit of the state back logged rape kits. She also worked tirelessly to advocate for Florida Senate Bill 636, the “Test All Kits Bill” that mandated all prior kits be tested and set out a timeline for collection and analysis of all future samples.

She is also the founder of “Keeping Moms Safe,” a safety program she presents to women’s self-defense groups in hopes that it will increase vigilance and save lives.

As the primary inspiration behind the creation of Butterfly House, Palm Beach County’s first centralized forensic exam center, Julie is personally committed through this Foundation to providing personal care and comfort items for every survivor who walks through its doors.

The Butterfly House, the certified rape crisis center in Palm Beach County, is an oasis of hope and healing for those who have experienced the trauma of sexual violence.