About three out of four sexual assaults go unreported to law enforcement, and Sexual Assault Awareness Month seeks to show support for survivors, take action, and raise awareness of sexual violence in your community.
Every 73 seconds an American is sexually assaulted, and 55% of sexual assaults occur at or near the victim’s home, according to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN). Washington County Attorney John Gish says it takes a lot of courage for a victim to report sexual abuse, and criminal cases don’t always result in a prison sentence, “Without physical evidence and just working off of the testimony of the victim alone, historically juries are not likely to find a defendant guilty. And that’s a very hard pill for me as a prosecutor to swallow, and that is very difficult for me to explain to victims and their families why I might be making a plea offer in a case.”