Latest news with #NationalSexualAssaultAwarenessandPreventionMonth
Axios
09-04-2025
- Axios
It's Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Here's what a local expert wants you to know
April marked the start of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so we asked a local expert to help set the record straight on misconceptions that can deter survivors from accessing resources. Why it matters: Sexual assault can impact anyone, and this month aims to raise public awareness and educate communities on how to prevent it. Jessica Pinto, advocate manager at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay's Sexual Assault Services, debunked three common misconceptions that often get in the way of helping survivors: There is no requirement or expectation that an adult survivor must work with law enforcement to access help. There is no cost associated with the center's victim advocacy services or medical forensic exams. While the center must see survivors within five days for a forensic exam, its resources are available to all survivors — no matter how much time has passed. The big picture: Sexual assault is "a crime that is completely preventable," if we educate people about consent and promote boundaries, Pinto says. The University of South Florida is hosting a number of events for survivors this month, from roundtables to "restorative activities." Friction point: While the goal of Sexual Assault Awareness Month is to educate the public about sexual assault and prevention, the White House's proclamation for the month included misinformation. President Trump's proclamation zeroed in on undocumented immigration and falsely described it as "one of the leading causes of sexual violence." "This month, we recognize National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month by ending the unfathomable human abuse committed under open borders policies," he said. Reality check: The majority of rape cases — about eight in 10 — involve perpetrators who are known to the victim, according to the Department of Justice. Multiple studies have also shown that immigrant women in the U.S. are more likely to be victims of sexual violence than citizens but are less likely to report it due to fears of deportation. Researcher Kavitha Sreeharsha wrote that increased immigration enforcement increases crimes against undocumented immigrants by creating a climate where people see "a window to exploit" them. By the numbers: The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office reported 145 rape cases to the FBI's central crime database in the past five years. Seven were categorized as being perpetrated by a stranger. In Hillsborough County, it was 84 of 993. What they're saying: "We certainly know that folks who are in any type of marginal positionality are more vulnerable to experience violence," Pinto told Axios.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump attacks immigrants in racist Sexual Assault Awareness Month proclamation
Donald Trump, self-proclaimed 'protector' of women, issued a proclamation Thursday acknowledging Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, in which he leveled a bigoted attack against undocumented migrants. The announcement began: This month, we recognize National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month by ending the unfathomable human abuse committed under open borders policies. One of the leading causes of sexual violence over the last 4 years has been the invasion of illegal aliens at our southern border. In a treasonous act of betrayal against the American people, the previous administration unleashed an army of gangs and criminal aliens from the darkest and most dangerous corners of the world — causing a dramatic increase of sexual violence in our neighborhoods and communities. These reckless policies empowered some of the most depraved people on the planet to exploit women and children in the most vicious ways imaginable. The rest of the screed offered more of the same. Literally the only true statement in that quoted section is that April is in fact Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. There has not been an 'invasion' of immigrants through our southern border. And despite Trump's efforts to convince the public otherwise, studies have repeatedly shown immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than people born in the U.S. It's perhaps not surprising that the president is less interested in bringing awareness to sexual assaults perpetrated by American citizens. Trump himself (as you likely know) was found liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in a civil trial in 2023. He famously boasted about groping women without their consent. Trump was once an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender (but he has never been implicated in any allegations). To serve as labor secretary in his first administration, Trump named Alex Acosta, the former U.S. attorney who oversaw a controversial plea deal for Epstein in a child sex abuse case. Trump also publicly sent well-wishes to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's co-defendant in his child sex trafficking case, as she fought the charges in 2020. Three of the men Trump selected for Cabinet positions this year previously faced accusations of sexual assault (two denied any wrongdoing; the third apologized to the woman via text message). Multiple Jan. 6 insurrectionists he pardoned had prior convictions for sexual assault. And some of the insurrectionists he pardoned have since been charged with sexual assault or soliciting a minor in connection with incidents alleged to have occurred before the insurrection. And, according to reporting from the Financial Times and The Times, Trump's administration had a hand in helping accused sex trafficker Andrew Tate return to the U.S. after the administration allegedly pressured Romanian officials to loosen travel restrictions for Tate and his brother. So Trump's proclamation Thursday — ostensibly 'to support survivors of sexual assault' — tracks with his and his administration's overtly racist policies. At the same time, it refuses any 'awareness' of his own history of sexual abuse or the sexual misconduct alleged against those in his inner circle. No one needs Trump to proclaim anything in support of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month — unless it's an apology. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Donald Trump Marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month By Trashing Immigrants
Like the two Democratic presidents before him, President Donald Trump declared April to be National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month with a proclamation issued Friday. But instead of citing statistics on the real problem of sexual violence in the United States, Trump used his statement to assail immigrants, claiming without evidence that 'illegal aliens' have been 'one of the leading causes of sexual violence over the last four years,' during the administration of his opponent President Joe Biden. Parts of Trump's proclamation read like pulp fiction: 'In a treasonous act of betrayal against the American people, the previous administration unleashed an army of gangs and criminal aliens from the darkest and most dangerous corners of the world — causing a dramatic increase of sexual violence in our neighborhoods and communities.' He added, 'These reckless policies empowered some of the most depraved people on the planet to exploit women and children in the most vicious ways imaginable.' Trump cited three cases wherein a U.S. citizen was murdered, or alleged to be murdered, by men who came into the country from South and Central America. Each case was horrific: 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was found strangled in Texas, 22-year-old Laken Riley was found dead in Georgia, and 37-year-old Rachel Morin was found beaten in Maryland. Trump claimed that these three anecdotal pieces of evidence were backed by cases of 'many others who were savagely killed by illegal alien crime.' Trump wrote, 'Every act of violence committed against an American at the hands of an illegal alien is a crime beyond all comprehension.' But statistics do not back up his version of reality. Sexual assault is a widespread problem in the United States. According to RAINN, an activist group that offers resources to survivors, one out of every six American women has been the target of attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. Perpetrators of sexual assault, however, are known to the victim more often than not. Most perpetrators are white (57%) or Black (27%), according to RAINN. The United States Sentencing Commission also puts out annual fact sheets on sexual abuse offenders, revealing that the vast majority of the offenders are U.S. citizens. That has been true for years: in 2021, 95.4% of sexual abuse offenders were U.S. citizens; in 2022, 94.9% were citizens; in 2023, the most recent year data is available, 96.2% were citizens. The data shows no spike in immigrant-led sexual violence on a national scale. 'The scapegoating of ethnic and religious minorities is well-tread historical ground in the United States, and immigrants have always made for an easy target,' read an October paper by the American Immigration Council, a nonprofit advocacy group. 'Chinese, Irish, Italian, Muslim, Mexican — all these people and more have been falsely accused of bringing crime into the United States, particularly during times of economic or political unease,' the group said. The paper went on to argue that immigrants are not only less likely to commit crimes themselves, but that their presence has been linked to lower crime rates in the surrounding community. Trump Administration Creates Registry For Immigrants Who Are In The U.S. Illegally Sell-Off Worsens Worldwide And Dow Drops 1,600 After China Retaliates Against Trump Tariffs Ted Cruz Warns Trump On Possible 'Bad Outcome For America' On Tariffs
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump, found liable for sexual abuse in 2023, promotes sexual assault awareness
President Donald Trump issued a proclamation recognizing National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month — one that differs from similar recognitions issued in his first term both because of its focus and because Trump himself was found liable for sexual abuse in 2023. The proclamation, issued Thursday evening, is narrowly focused on blaming 'a dramatic increase of sexual violence in our neighborhoods and communities' on 'the invasion of illegal aliens at our southern border,' pointing a finger at the Biden administration's immigration policies. It's a sharp turn from the statements Trump published in his first term, which largely highlighted the need for more support for survivors and accountability for perpetrators. The statement erroneously claims that assaults by undocumented immigrants are one of the leading causes of sexual violence in recent years. In reality, most victims of sexual assault are harmed by someone they know. Eight out of 10 rapes are committed by someone known to the victim, according to data from the Department of Justice. Omny Miranda Martone, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Sexual Violence Prevention Association, wrote over text message that this is a classic case of what the organization calls SORVO — Systemic Oppression, Reverse Victim and Offender. 'President Trump wants to systemically oppress immigrants, so he accuses them of committing high rates of sexual violence,' they wrote. 'The reality is, immigrants face higher rates of sexual violence than natural born citizens and are less likely to perpetuate crime.' While research from the federal government has found immigrants commit less crime than U.S.-born people, Trump and his allies have often drawn attention to the tragic cases of American women and girls killed by undocumented immigrants. In his proclamation, Trump cites the deaths of Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray and Rachel Morin, all of whom were killed in the past two years. An undocumented immigrant man in November was found guilty of Riley's murder. Undocumented immigrants have been charged in Nungaray's and Morin's deaths; the trial in Morin's case began this week. Riley's murder was an anti-immigrant flashpoint for Republicans, and Trump signed legislation drafted in her honor that now allows for immigrants to be deported for nonviolent crimes. The mothers of Riley and Nungaray were also special guests at Trump's joint address to Congress in March. In May of 2023, Trump was found liable in federal court for sexually abusing the writer E. Jean Carroll in 1996 and defaming her afterward. He was originally ordered to pay $5 million in damages, but that amount increased by an eye-popping $83 million after Trump was found liable for defaming Carroll again after the initial verdict. In addition to Carroll, a number of women have accused the president of sexual misconduct. Many in Trump's inner circle, including multiple people confirmed to the Cabinet, have also been accused of sexual misconduct. 'President Trump doesn't care about women or sexual violence survivors,' Martone wrote. 'He simply uses his faux defense of women to justify oppressing minorities, particularly immigrants and trans people.' The post Trump, found liable for sexual abuse in 2023, promotes sexual assault awareness appeared first on The 19th. News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to our free, daily newsletter.
