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In 2009, President Obama designated April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This was significant because awareness months serve not only to highlight different issues that impact our society, but they also challenge citizens to learn more and to become involved in finding solutions to a collective problem.
This April, I am heeding the president’s call to be a partner in raising awareness on the issue of sexual violence, and I hope you will join me.
Sexual assault can be defined as sexual contact or behavior that occurs by force or without the consent of the recipient of the unwanted sexual activity. Falling under the definition of sexual assault is sexual activity such as forced sexual intercourse, sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling and attempted rape. It includes sexual acts against people who are unable to consent either due to age or lack of capacity.
This devastating crime warrants our focused attention because it is often misunderstood and incorrectly portrayed. On the one hand, we are reluctant to talk about the issue. Yet, when sexual violence is discussed, it continues to be misunderstood. Victims are blamed and often shamed into silence.
It’s commonly believed that rape is something that happens only between strangers. But statistics show the majority of rape victims know their perpetrator.
Regardless of whether you or someone you know has been personally affected by sexual violence, you have only to read the newspaper or turn on the television to realize the extensive nature of its impact on our society and around the world. Sexual violence knows no boundaries. It reaches people of every age, race, class, gender and sexual orientation. It affects entire communities from high schools, to college campuses, the workplace and our homes. Some populations are particularly vulnerable, such as children, people with disabilities and the elderly.
It must be said plainly and indisputably: No one asks or deserves to be sexually assaulted.
Researchers estimate that about 18 percent of women in the United States report having been raped at some point in their lifetimes. Nearly one in three American Indian and Alaska Native women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime. One in 33 men will be victimized in his lifetime.
A deeper look at these numbers reveals another critical concern. Sexual assault remains one of the most under-reported crimes in America. The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that in 2008 less than half of rapes or sexual assaults against women were reported.
Many victims will never seek justice for a host of reasons, including fear of not being believed, having to relive a traumatic experience or fear of retribution, to list a few.
The effects on victims and society are profound. Many rape victims suffer severe long-term physical and emotional difficulties. They experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and even thoughts of suicide.
The level of sexual violence in Native communities is particularly disturbing. The Department of Justice has made addressing public safety in Indian Country a priority, and has held listening sessions and consultations to hear from Native American leaders on ways we can work together to assist victims and hold offenders accountable. I also consulted with Native leaders in the District of New Mexico during which this issue received significant attention, and I have prioritized prosecution of sexual assault of Native women and children.
One sexual assault is one too many. We must create an environment where victims feel safe reporting crimes to law enforcement so that they can begin to seek the justice they deserve.
This April, I challenge every community in the District of New Mexico to learn more about sexual violence, to better understand its impact, and to take a stand against it.
As U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico and part of the Department of Justice, I view working for greater public safety not only as our job but also as a moral imperative. My great hope is that more citizens will join in the quest to meet the needs of victims, hold offenders accountable, and put an end to sexual violence in our Native communities and throughout the District of New Mexico.
