(Brookville, IN) ) – April marks the 25th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness month with a campaign from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) called “Looking Back, Moving Forward.”
For 25 years, there’s been a movement across the country advocating for sexual assault prevention. This month provides an opportunity to celebrate the resilience of sexual assault survivors and the communities that have worked for change.
But prosecutors and advocates say there’s still a lot of work to do, especially here in Indiana.
According to studies, 60% of Hoosier women have been victims of sexual violence in their lifetime. In addition, 63% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police, according to statistics from the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Franklin County Prosecutor Chris Huerkamp says that sexual assault is any form of unwanted sexual contact. This can include but is not limited to:
- Rape or sexual assault of adults or children
- Incest
- Sexual assault/non-consensual sex committed by a person’s spouse or partner
- Fondling
- Sexual harassment
- Sexual exploitation
- Sexual trafficking, or forcing someone to perform sex acts with others
- Exposure of genitals or naked body to other(s) without consent
- Watching someone engage in private sexual acts without their knowledge or permission
- Non-consensual sharing of intimate image(s)
“These types of cases are deeply personal, can be exceptionally challenging, and unfortunately there’s no one solution to solve this problem. But there are ways we can educate our communities about prevention and appropriate response to sexual violence. The importance of teaching our children how and when to report their concerns to safe adults cannot be emphasized enough,” said Huerkamp. “We also must continue to advocate and support victims and survivors of sexual violence at every opportunity.”
Huerkamp further warned that in the age of artificial intelligence (A.I.), constant cell phone use, and the expansion of technology, sexual predators have taken on a multi-layered approach to their abuse. He says this creates a very disturbing situation for victims, because to them the abuser can be viewed in a position of complete control.
“Our office depends on the courage of community members, friends, family, and survivors to report abuse to law enforcement when it occurs,” Huerkamp said. “This is the only way we can hold abusers accountable for their crimes, and take action to stop or prevent sexual violence in the future.”
To immediately report sexual abuse, call 911 or your local police department. Huerkamp also urged victims to seek medical treatment at a local facility that can provide specialized attention, including an examination from a specially-trained sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE).
The Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office also offers victims’ services and can provide references and referrals to available resources in or near the community.
For information on how to help sexual assault victims, visit:
- https://www.nsvrc.org/how-to-help/
- https://www.endsexualassault.org/get-help/how-to-help-loved-ones-and-friends/
- #MyFriendToo | Sexual Abuse Support
To report child sexual exploitation (including an explicit image, video or cyber abuse), visit:
