Carteret County Rape Crisis Program rebrands as S.P.E.A.K.
CARTERET COUNTY, N.C. (WNCT) — In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the Carteret County Rape Crisis Program is now renamed S.P.E.A.K.
The rebranding, approved by the Carteret County Board of Commissioners reflects the program's mission to provide Support, Prevention, Empowerment, Advocacy, and Knowledge to survivors and the community.
The name S.P.E.A.K. represents the program's commitment to helping survivors findtheir voices while encouraging the community to SPEAK up for survivors, SPEAK outagainst sexual violence, and take action to prevent assault.
The new identity is concise, memorable, and aligns with the program's core values and focuses on education, prevention, and advocacy.
'This new name clearly communicates who we are and what we stand for,' Program Director Vicki Wank said. 'It's not just about crisis response—it's about empowering survivors, educating the public, and fostering a culture of accountability. With slogans like 'Speak Up, Speak Out,' we hope to inspire more conversations and action.'
Throughout April, Carteret S.P.E.A.K. is hosting several events to engagethe community including:
4th Annual 'Take Back the Night' – Monday, April 28, at 4 p.m.Join us at Carteret S.P.E.A.K. (300 Penny Lane, Morehead City) for an openhouse event featuring local resources, followed by a solidarity walk to raiseawareness and support survivors.
Denim Day – Wednesday, April 30Residents are encouraged to wear denim to challenge victim-blaming myths andstand with survivors. This global movement began after a 1998 court case wherea judge wrongly suggested a victim's clothing justified assault.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Yahoo
Son of Smith County Clerk found guilty of assaulting peace officer
TYLER, Texas (KETK) – Lance Phillips, the son of Smith County Clerk Karen Phillips and former Smith County Commissioner Terry Phillips, has been found guilty of assaulting a peace officer. Son of elected Smith County officials arrested for assault of public servant Lance was found guilty by a jury verdict in the 7th District Court in front of Judge Kerry L. Russell at around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Lance told KETK that he plans to appeal this verdict. 'If I lose and then I will immediately file my appeal to the higher court and go as high as necessary to get the rule of law to be enforced,' Lance told KETK after he testified on Thursday. 'And there will tons of case law that has Lance Phillips vs Neal Franklin of Smith County. And the result will help 35 million Texans who may want to speak in a public meeting.' Lance's guilty verdict comes after he was arrested for multiple charges on April 2, 2024 for an incident during a Smith County commissioner's court meeting. The May 2023 meeting was considering items like a resolution marking April 2024 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and a Smith County Jail operations report when Lance got into a verbal exchange with Smith County Judge Neal Franklin. Phillips was then removed from the court by courtroom officers. A sentencing hearing for Lance's case has been scheduled for 9 a.m. on July 23. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Rockford University raises awareness about sexual assault on Denim Day
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford University raised awareness about sexual assault and advocated for survivors on Denim Day. Denim Day is a campaign that started in 1999 after the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction, claiming the victim must have helped her attacker remove her tight jeans, implying consent. Many women wore jeans the next day to show solidarity. Rockford University students strung up shirts on a clothesline along with survivors' stories on campus. One student emphasized the importance of listening to victims and eliminating assumptions around sexual violence. 'I think it's a stigma to think that a man can not be a victim when he can be. Or that a child cannot be a victim because they're too innocent, or that an older person can't be a victim because they're not attractive,' said Sandy Ruiz. I think a lot of these stigmas and stereotypes are still very much prevalent, so I think that's the first place that we need to go, is to have these different levels of people be representatives of sexual assault.' The school hosted a celebration for its women's flag football team in tandem with Denim Day. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
How sexual assault survivors are being supported
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (WAVY) — Blue is the power color of the day at Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center on Denim Day as staff members show solidarity toward sexual assault victims. The idea of Denim Day dates back to a 1999 assault case in Italy. 'There was a rape victim whose assailant was exonerated because she wore tight jeans, and the argument was, she must have assisted in some way and the assailant went free while she was a victim, and she was, in fact, raped,' said Sentara Health Chief Nursing Officer Amber Price the assault was consensual, the judge threw out the case. The next day, women in the Italian parliament showed up to work wearing denim jeans. It's now become an international show of support for those victims. Forensic nurses at Sentara Williamsburg, where they have a sexual assault nurse examiner program, are trained to not only conduct an exam but also be there emotionally for victims.'It has to do with respect,' Price said. 'It has to do with making sure that people are believed, and collecting the evidence in such a way that we're not traumatizing the patient even further.'Sentara Health Forensic Nurse Betsy Holzworth is one of those collecting that evidence.'It's hard. The patient is either in disbelief, or they have such injuries they can't really speak,' Holzworth said. 'An exam can take [anywhere from] two hours up to eight hours depending on how much they're willing to give us at that point in time. We have to stop, we have to start. You know, everything is based on how they're feeling.'Only one of her 50 cases has gone to trial, and the assailant put behind bars.'It was rewarding,' Holzworth said. 'At the start of the case, all you want to do is cry. But you don't. You come in and you're there for them. They just need some support and that's what we're there to do.'New legislation taking effect this year aims at removing barriers to seek help after an assault. House Bill 2117 allows for the collection of evidence anonymously without contacting police — giving the victim time to decide if they want to press charges. It also removes the fear of arrest of the victim for minor offenses like drug possession when seeking help.'The most important thing for us is that we can immediately treat and care for a patient,' Price said. '[It] tends to be that the longer we wait, the worse it is for everybody. We want evidence to be collected as soon as we can get it, and the victim is allowing us to collect it.' They stress the sooner a victim reaches out for help, the more likely they are to avoid lifelong trauma.'We want patients to know they're not to blame, and that there's someone in their corner,' Price said. If you or someone you know has been a victim, there are resources out there to help. Click for more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.