Nov
30
Legal Access Granted: Sexual Assault Survivors in Texas
Filed Under Announcement, Guest Post, Legal Servivces, Resource, sexual assault laws | By Robert A. Brothers | Leave a Comment
Credit: Free images from acobox.com
Robert is a staff attorney with VICARS (The Victim Initiative for Counseling Advocacy & Restoration of the Southwest) a project of the Texas Legal Services Center.
When we see a sexual assault crime portrayed in the media, we are always presented with the dramatic criminal trial. There, at the conclusion of the criminal proceedings the judge renders the guilty verdict and justice is served; the survivor can now begin to move on with their lives, vindicated and on the road to recovery.
Of course, the reality of a sexual assault is much different.
In fact, sexual assault cases rarely make it through to a criminal trial. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network) Only 6% of rapists will ever spend a day in jail. The emphasis that people place on the importance of the criminal trial is disingenuous and overshadows the immediate needs and safety issues a sexual assault survivor faces.
There is also an issue with reporting. According to the “Health Survey of Texans: A focus on sexual assault” In Texas, only eighteen percent of victims reported their sexual assault to the police. Often, the reporting of the crime functions as the gateway to services for survivors. What about the eighty two percent of survivors in Texas who do not report the sexual assault to the police? Simply because they didn’t report their assault to authorities doesn’t mean that they do not have those same immediate needs.
Let’s look at some of those immediate needs in the aftermath of a sexual assault in Texas. The following is not legal advice and a survivor or advocate is strongly urged to consult with an attorney on all of Read more
