Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the need to support those who have been victimized by this terrible crime. According to the National Sexual Violence…
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the need to support those who have been victimized by this terrible crime.
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, nearly 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men will experience sexual violence, and 7 out of 10 sexual assault cases are committed by someone who the survivor knows.
Nearly 50 percent of female survivors will experience PTS, or post trauma stress, and per the Rape and Incest National Network, only 2 percent of those offenders will spend jail time or be convicted of a felony.
Sex trafficking is a prevalent problem, and according to the U.S. State Department, 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders. Of those numbers, 80 percent are female and half are children.
Sex trafficking occurs when someone uses fraud, force, or coercion to cause a commercial sexual act with an adult or cause a minor to commit a commercial sexual act.
Thus, victims of sex trafficking are also victims of assault. They are threatened, taken from families and loved ones, and forced to commit acts they would not do on their own free will.
These statistics demand action. I personally know victims of sexual assault, and I have tackled it head-on while as a commander. I started this journey when I was a commander at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
When I arrived there as a new base commander in 2008, the allegations of sexual assault were too high. I implemented a two-step solution to address the problem.
First, all rape accusers, if willing to testify, would have their day in court, have their day to say what happened to a jury.
Second, those convicted of rape would have their names and prison sentences distributed widely around the base. Our rates immediately improved. This program was later ranked by the Air Force as the number one sexual assault response program--the number one in the Air Force. So I take this issue seriously.
I recently met with Courtney, a constituent in my district in Omaha, who was sexually assaulted while serving as a marine. She shared her story with me, including how she was treated after reporting the rape. And what she told me greatly disheartened me. I could not believe that someone who proudly served in uniform was basically ostracized by the very people she served with.
She felt persecuted and ignored for daring to report an assault that should not have occurred, from simple acts of being ignored to having her belongings thrown out of the barracks in black trash bags by her fellow servicemen.
Courtney was not only a victim of assault, but a victim of repeated backlash from superiors and colleagues. Courtney developed PTS because of not only the assault, but how she was treated for reporting the assault.
In my district office is Makayla, an intern who at the young age of 15 was molested by her father. Makayla's parents were divorced, and one weekend when she was alone with her biological father, the horrendous crime took place.
She would live in fear for the next 2 years until, finally, by the grace of God, she told her mom what happened. The days following were a whirlwind, from giving testimony to telling her grandparents what their son had done to her.
The lives of both women will never be the same. However, they both know and both knew that God would turn their trauma into triumph.
Makayla is now a college student at the University of Nebraska Omaha and shares her story at colleges, schools, nonprofits, and other organizations all over Nebraska. After graduating, she wants to work in politics to change the policies surrounding sexual assault cases.
Courtney is also speaking out and has started a blog on social media sites detailing her journey to recovery and sharing her story so others know that they are not alone.
She also will be staying in touch with me about potential legislation and ideas to help those who are victims of sexual assault in the military.
There are many in Omaha who deserve recognition for the work they do every day to combat sexual assault and human trafficking to help victims. The Women's Center for Advancement helps victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. They have a hotline that victims can call and make that their first step in getting the help they need.
Project Harmony offers victims of child sexual assault the opportunity to take forensic interviews instead of having to appear in court, which can retraumatize the victims.
The Coalition on Human Trafficking is training staff at hotels and motels to be able to identify possible victims of sex trafficking. The goal is to provide the awareness training to all hotels within a 50- mile radius of Omaha, and to date they have trained over 85 locations.
Finally, we can't forget the members of law enforcement who work tirelessly to catch those responsible for sexual assault and human trafficking. Without them, there would be so many more victims who would still be abused, assaulted, and traumatized.
And while there are law enforcement and others dedicated to stopping these assaults and human trafficking, there is more that could be done.
Earlier this month I joined my colleagues as an original cosponsor on H.R. 2052, also known as the PRIVATE Act, which would amend the Uniform Code of Military Justice to provide harsher penalties to anyone who engages in what is known as revenge porn.
The Violence Against Women's Act of 1994 also helps provide some justice. This act used Federal funds to help investigate and prosecute sex offenders and establish the Office on Violence Against Women in the Department of Justice, a program we must continue to support.
Finally, I have agreed to cosponsor H.R. 1035, the Extending Justice for Sex Crimes Act of 2017, which amends the statute of limitations for a victim of human trafficking or a Federal sexual offense to seek and recover damages.
This bill sets a 10-year statute of limitations from the date the victim discovers the offense or injury and not when it occurred to file a civil action. It also extends the statute of limitations for a minor victim to file a civil action for 10 years from the date that the victim turns 18. Currently it stands at 3 years.
Sexual assault and exploitation is a social problem and a crime. We need to step up and assist with prevention of these acts, prosecute the perpetrators, and provide the provisions for resources for victims.
