HomeMy WebLinkAboutPRO-2019-005 Proclamation for Sexual Assault Awareness Week ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Proclamation
" Sexual Assault Awareness Month "
WHEREAS , the Orange County Rape Crisis Center assisted over 700 survivors of sexual
violence , their loved ones , and community professionals during 2018 ; 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 over 17, 500 youth and adults each year ; 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 more than 18 , 000 sex offenders registered as living in North Carolina ( NC
State Bureau of Investigation , 2019 ) ; 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 nonprofit 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 2019 as " SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS
MONTH " and encourage all residents to speak out agai
, nst sexual violence and to support their
local community' s efforts to prevent and respond to these appalling crimes .
This the 2nd day of 019 .
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i Penny Rich , Qhair
17 �2 Orange County Board of Commissioners