IN THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI
Title
A RESOLUTION recognizing the first Wednesday of April as the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault's "Start by Believing Day" in Jackson County.
Intro
RESOLUTION NO. 20645, April 12, 2021
INTRODUCED BY Crystal Williams, County Legislator
Body
WHEREAS, Jackson County shares a critical concern for victims of sexual violence and a desire to support their need for justice and healing; and,
WHEREAS, in 2018, the most current year for which statistics are available, police departments in Jackson County, Missouri, received 559 reports of rape and 29 reports of attempted rape, and in 2020 the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA) supported over 1,107 survivors of sexual violence through advocacy services, 2,968 callers on MOCSA's 24-hour crisis line, and 1,110 survivors through counseling services; and,
WHEREAS, current estimates suggest no more than twenty percent of sexual assaults will be reported to law enforcement and less than three percent will result in the conviction and incarceration of the perpetrators; and,
WHEREAS, research documents that victims are far more likely to disclose their sexual assault to friends or family members, and when these loved ones respond with doubt, shame, or blame, victims suffer additional negative effects on their physical and psychological well-being; and,
WHEREAS, the "Start by Believing" public awareness campaign (a program of End Violence Against Women International) is designed to improve the responses of friends, family members, and community professionals, so they can help victims to access supportive resources and engage the criminal justice system; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the County Legislature of Jackson County, Missouri, that the Legislature hereby proclaims the first Wednesday of April as the MOCSA's "Start by Believing Day" in Jackson County and encourages all citizens to create a positive communit...
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