Rachel Wesp

Rachel Wesp is a survivor advocate and community leader dedicated to strengthening the systems that protect families and promote public safety.

For more than 15 years, she has worked alongside individuals and families navigating trauma and complex legal systems. As a Victim Advocate with the Placer County District Attorney’s Office, Rachel supported survivors of child sexual abuse, human trafficking, stalking, and domestic violence. She served on Placer County’s Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), collaborating with law enforcement, forensic nurses, and prosecutors to ensure coordinated, trauma-informed care in the immediate aftermath of violence.

Rachel served as the primary and sole assigned advocate for cases at the Multi-Disciplinary Interview Center (MDIC), providing direct support to child victims within a structured, team-based forensic model designed to minimize re-traumatization and strengthen investigative integrity. In that role, she walked families through some of the most difficult moments of their lives while helping ensure accountability within the justice process.

Earlier in her career at Growing Strong Sexual Assault Center in Illinois, Rachel provided medical and legal advocacy and contributed to Illinois Imagines, a statewide initiative focused on protecting women with disabilities and ensuring equal access to justice.

Her commitment to this work is deeply personal. When she was seven years old, her two-year-old brother, Richard, was murdered in an act of domestic violence. That loss shaped her lifelong dedication to advocacy and prevention. In his memory, she founded Richard’s Run, an annual community initiative honoring lives lost to domestic violence homicide and supporting survivor-centered efforts.