United States Attorney Kevin Ritz joins the United States Department of Justice, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), advocates, survivors, victim service providers, justice professionals, police, first responders, and communities across the United States in commemorating Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Every April, we rededicate our efforts to ending sexual assault, believing survivors, strengthening prevention and education efforts, and holding offenders accountable.

U.S. Attorney Ritz said: “The impact of sexual assault can reverberate through an entire community. The crime leaves lasting harm and trauma on survivors, their families, friends, and can impact their schools and workplaces. As federal prosecutors, we have a responsibility to the citizens throughout the Western District of Tennessee to pursue accountability and justice for crimes of sexual violence.”

SAAM is a reminder of the importance of creating supportive environments and teaching young people ways to prevent sexual violence – including bystander intervention and mobilizing men and boys as allies. It is especially critical to reach young people with information and resources about sexual violence because over 80 percent of rape survivors report that they were first raped before age 25.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 33.5 million women and 4.5 million men are the victims of completed or attempted rape in their lifetime, and many more experience other forms of sexual violence. The CDC estimates more than half of women and nearly one third of men are victims of contact sexual violence in their lifetimes. Sexual violence can have a lasting impact on survivors, ranging from physical injury to mental health, to fear and safety concerns, to lifelong effects on financial and housing stability, employment, and educational attainment.

Original source can be found here.