HomeMy WebLinkAboutProclamation proclaiming April 2013 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month �f
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Proclamation
"Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2013 Proclamation"
WHEREAS, the Orange County Rape Crisis Center assisted 469 survivors of sexual violence
and their loved ones as well as 68 community professionals during 2012;and
WHEREAS, the Orange County Rape Crisis Center works with the county's two school
systems and other groups to provide students with age-appropriate information about violence
prevention,reaching 11,632 youth and adults in 2012;and
WHEREAS, the coordination of the Orange County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) is
bringing together members of law enforcement, the medical community, the legal system, and
other community advocates to improve services for survivors of sexual assault who come
forward;and
WHEREAS, 1 in 5 American women have been sexually assaulted at some point in their lives
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010);and
WHEREAS, in the United States rape is the most costly crime to its survivors, totaling $127
billion a year considering factors such as medical cost, lost earnings, pain, suffering, and lost
quality of life(U.S. Department of Justice,1996);and
WHEREAS, in the United States 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of
sexual or physical violence committed by an intimate partner (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 2010);and
WHEREAS,there are 17,315 sex offenders registered as living in North Carolina (Department of
Justice,2012); and
WHEREAS, victim-blaming continues to be an enormous problem in instances of rape and
sexual assault;and
WHEREAS, the Orange County Rape Crisis Center, a non-profit agency that has served this
community since 1974, is working to stop sexual violence and its impact through support,
education,and advocacy;
NOW,THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we,the Orange County Board of Commissioners,
do hereby proclaim the month of April 2013 as "SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS
MONTH" and encourage all residents to speak out against sexual violence and to support their
local community's efforts to prevent and respond to these appalling crimes.
This the 91h day of April 2013.
Barry jacoK&Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners