BLOOMINGTON - Sarah Gliege wants people to know her name. Gliege's decision to allow her name to be used in The Pantagraph coverage of the Jeff Pelo rape trial is a departure from the usual practice of keeping the names of sexual assault victims confidential.

In asking that her name be used, Gilege said: "While I understand each assault victim is faced with different sets of circumstances, I would like my name used when I testify to send a clear message that neither I nor any of the other victims should feel shame or embarrassment about our assaults."

The public should not hold victims responsible for the trauma of an assault, said Gliege, the first of four alleged rape victims on the witness list.

"I believe that the point of anonymity for rape victims can imply we bear some responsibility for those vicious acts, or at the very least that we should feel ashamed of what happened to us," she said.

The director of a local sexual assault center applauded Gliege's decision, but said every victim must make up their own mind about disclosing their identity.

"I think it's commendable and inspiring that this woman is willing to shrug off the shroud of silence that envelopes people," said Yadira Ruiz, director of Stepping Stones, a YWCA program that assists sexual assault victims.

Safety concerns and a lack of understanding by the public of the dynamics of sexual assault are among the reason many victims choose to remain anonymous, said Ruiz.

Gliege's family issued a statement late Thursday commenting on the testimony she gave that day.

"It took great courage to testify about personal details of her rape. She was both clear and articulate and did a very difficult task with dignity," Gliege's mother, Carole Kalmes, said on behalf of the family.

Taking the witness stand does not diminish the trauma of sexual assault, said Kalmes.

"That experience has changed us all and the healing process will go on for the rest of our lives. We can never go back to who we were before Jan. 26, 2005," she said.