With the 114th Congress ramping up, Rebecca O’Connor,
RAINN’s vice president for public policy has posed three questions for them:
1. How should schools handle sexual assault cases?
What is the role and responsibility of a college or
university in the fight against sexual violence? What standards should apply to
investigations, and when and how should law enforcement be involved? How can we best protect students from these
crimes and support those who are victimized?
“We’re working closely with federal lawmakers to shape legislation that
will be re-introduced this session and is sure to once again make front-page
news,” O’Connor explains.
2. What can be done to end the backlog of rape kits?
Untested rape kits are a national problem. While good progress has been made, there is
still much work to be done to ensure sexual assault forensic exam kits are
correctly processed so victims get answers and rapists are held
accountable. “RAINN is closely
monitoring the Justice Department’s implementation of the SAFER Act and new DNA
initiatives,” O’Connor said, “In addition, RAINN together with the National
Center for Victims of Crime and Natasha’s Justice Project, is at the helm of
the Rape Kit Action Project (RKAP) which last year advised lawmakers in 20+
states as they developed rape-kit laws.
With RKAP support, seven states passed such laws last year and we expect
to help many more do so this year.”
3.How can professional sports leagues be part of the solution?
Everyone has watched as the media put the spotlight on
sexual assault in major league sports, and Congress is also watching. Last month, a Senate committee hearing
featured testimony from representatives from the NHL, MLB, NBA, and their
players’ unions regarding the prevention of sexual assault and domestic
violence. “Continued national dialogue,
including new legislation, is likely in the year ahead. RAINN has held discussions with sports
leaders as well as members of Congress about steps leagues can take to improve,”
O’Connor explained.
For more information about taking action with RAINN, you can
visit their Action Center.
No comments:
Post a Comment