Hanna Senko

Independent Survivor, Writer and Advocate

Hanna Senko is a Sexual Assault Survivor. Ms. Senko reported her assault, but her case was never prosecuted. She is one of 15 plaintiffs that brought a class action lawsuit against the City of Austin and the Travis County District Attorney’s office with the hope of improving the handling of sexual assault cases in her community. Ms. Senko spent most of her life trying to bury the history of her sexual assaults. It wasn’t until 2017 that she became determined to dig into what had happened to her, in search of renewed hope, health, and healing. She quickly realized that to understand her own assault, she needed to better understand the system her assault fell into. What she discovered was so much more than she ever expected. She learned her experience is incredibly common, and representative of the 97% of cases that do not result in conviction through the criminal justice system. After providing testimony at two Texas Legislative sessions, speaking out at various Austin City Council and Public Safety meetings, providing numerous media interviews, serving as a guest speaker on multiple podcasts, and becoming publicly known as a lead plaintiff against the city and county in which she lives, Ms. Senko now serves as a survivor speaker, writer, and advocate fighting for change in the awareness, understanding, and handling of sex crimes and gender-based violence. Prior to turning her attention to sexual assault advocacy, Ms. Senko held a distinguished, 25-year career in corporate management. She is proud to have been born and raised in Nebraska. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and later obtained her Master of Science degree in Oriental Medicine. She resides in Austin, Texas with her family where she is a devoted wife, mother, and stepmother.