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In Indiana, 1 in 5 Hoosier women has been sexually assaulted, according to The Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and an opportunity to promote both prevention and healing.
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In this legislative session, we made great strides to strengthen protections for survivors of violent crimes and sexual assault. To put more rapists behind bars and help more survivors receive justice, we closed a legal loophole by defining consent in state statutes. Courts and jurors can now use this clear definition to better guide them as to whether a victim provided consent or not. Another new law I co-authored stems from a case in 2003 involving a woman from Noblesville who was raped as a student at Butler University. After the offender was released from prison, the victim was forced to obtain a protective order because he repeatedly harassed her. In Indiana, protective orders expire every two years, and the victim and offender must appear before a judge before it can be renewed. With this new law, a victim can request an indefinite protective order against their attacker if the person is listed as lifetime sex or violent offender.
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To protect young survivors of violent crime from being forced to face their abusers in court, a new law I sponsored allows those who are young than 18 years of age at the time of the trial to submit a video statement if they were younger than 14 years old when the assault occurred. This month and beyond, let’s come together to support survivors and end sexual violence. To learn more about getting involved during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, click here. For important resources provided to survivors, click here. |
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