City Council issued a proclamation this week recognizing April as Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month and the work that Austin, Travis County and a network of advocacy groups and nonprofits are doing to reform the region’s sexual assault response system.
City Council Member Alison Alter delivered the proclamation on behalf of Mayor Kirk Watson at a Thursday morning press conference. Alter was joined by representatives from city nonprofit partners, the Austin Police Department, Travis County and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.
During her remarks, Alter praised a variety of advancements, including budget increases for victim services, trauma-informed training for APD, improvements to Austin’s DNA testing and collection, and improved data analysis.
“The changes we have set in motion and the investments were hard fought,” Alter said. “Several women bravely told their stories over and over, some of those standing here sued the city – we pushed and advocated at every turn. As part of this effort, we commissioned a third-party evaluation of the way sexual assaults are investigated and processed in Austin.”
Alter said the report, which was delivered in November, provides a “roadmap” for policy changes moving forward.
“For the first time in a long while, I am pleased that the people who need to be at the table to make systemic change are there, working together to create the ecosystem of sexual assault that survivors deserve – pursuing a collaborative effort with a shared goal to deliver healing and justice,” Alter said.
Among the report’s recommendations are responding more quickly to sexual assault reports and improving communication with victims so they know their case is being handled “professionally and that they are being taken seriously.”
Alter took a moment to thank the survivors who have come forward with their stories. “As a community we could not have come this far without you,” she said. “As we move forward, let us remember that we began this process with a simple idea: No one deserves to experience sexual assault, and when sexual assault does happen in our community, survivors deserve access to healing and justice.”
The proclamation notes that the 2023 Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month campaign is “Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity.” The campaign calls on individuals, communities, organizations and institutions to “stand against sexual violence and the systems of oppression that enable it.”
Lesley Varghese, president of the SAFE Alliance, shared resources available to survivors of sexual assault in the Austin area. People can call the SAFE hotline 24/7 at 512-267-SAFE, text 737-888-7233, or visit SAFE’s chat portal for assistance.
“This may be the month for this, but this is a problem year-round in our community and around the world,” Varghese said. “I want to emphasize that we have resources available in this community if someone has an unwanted sexual experience.”
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This article First appeared in austinmonitor