Councilwoman Cabello Havrda's Statement On Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Press release from the City of San Antonio:

April 29, 2021

Councilwoman Cabello Havrda’s Statement on Sexual Assault Awareness Month

CONTACT: Lexi Bachran, (210) 643-6219
Lexi.Bachran@sanantonio.gov

SAN ANTONIO (April 29, 2021) – During A Session, Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda highlighted April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. 6.3 million Texans have experienced some form of sexual assault in their lifetime. However, nationally only 5 out of every 1,000 perpetrators of sexual violence will serve time in prison and they are less likely to serve time than those arrested for other violent crimes. In Texas, the “proveability gap” continues to make sexual assault one of the most challenging crimes to prosecute and 3 out of 4 sexual assaults remain unreported.

Councilwoman Cabello Havrda issued the following remarks:

“I want to challenge our community to have difficult conversations around sexual violence and what can be done to not only encourage more survivors to come forward but ensure better care is taken of them amid the judicial proceedings when they do. We absolutely must start by believing the victim, but also need to ensure that the victim-blaming which reduces these acts of violence to unwanted sexual advances has no place in the experience of those who bravely come forward.

Serial offenders are counting on silence while they prey on our community. They are counting on our self-doubt to be so consuming that we forget that sexual assault is never about sex. It’s about violence, power, and control. And it’s only as a community that we can help survivors take back that control from the abusers who have felt safe and emboldened in the anonymity provided by our silence.”

If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, help and hope is available:
Circle of Arms – 210.695.0687 or circleofarms.org
The Rape Crisis Center – 210.349.7273 or rapecrisis.com
ChildSafe – 210.675.9000 or childsafe-sa.org

This press release was produced by the City of San Antonio. The views expressed here are the author’s own.