Now more than ever, let’s make sure that SC victims of abuse know they aren’t alone

Each year my office joins others to recognize April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and in doing so we focus on important themes such as consent, respect and healthy relationships.

And while education remains the priority during every awareness month, here is something you may not have considered during this April: the impact of COVID-19 on victims and survivors in South Carolina.

During this state, national and global public health crisis, we are tasked with understanding statistics about sexual abuse through the lens of a worldwide pandemic. This is a crisis that requires many South Carolinians to “safely” quarantine in potentially unsafe spaces —

and even if we set the context of the pandemic aside, the local and national sexual abuse statistics are deeply concerning.

Here are just some of those statistics:

▪ Based on 2017 data, the most sexual battery cases in South Carolina include individuals who range from birth to 17 years old.

▪ Every 98 seconds, another American is sexually assaulted.

▪ 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape.

▪ About 3% of American men — or 1 in 33 — have experienced an attempted or completed rape.

▪ From 2009 to 2013 Child Protective Services agencies found strong evidence that 63,000 children a year were victims of sexual abuse.

During this pandemic it is especially important to note that 8 out of 10 perpetrators in sexual assault cases are known to the victims; they are friends, acquaintances, family members or even spouses or partners. And the truth is that sexual assault victims and survivors are likely isolated and confined in or near their homes where sexual abuse may be taking place; in fact, 83% of sexual assaults occur in or near the homes of victims.

Perpetrators of abuse strategically violate trust and safety, often of their loved ones, and that’s why coming forward to speak up and break the silence may be challenging during a time when victims or survivors may feel more isolated than ever before.

However, the fact is that domestic violence and sexual assault agencies and hotlines stand ready to assist and support. We urge you to call 911 during an emergency — or to notify local law enforcement if you need medical assistance.

One of our goals at the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office is to keep prosecuting sexually violent crimes and holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes — while also standing with our state’s sexual assault and domestic violence agencies to support survivors.

Our office also supports the formalization and expansion of 17 Sexual Assault Response Teams across South Carolina through protocol development, community engagement and training.

If you or someone you know has experienced unwanted sexual contact by a partner, friend, family member, stranger or acquaintance, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE (7233). It offers free and confidential support to sexual abuse victims and survivors.

We may be physically isolated, but we are not alone.

Alan Wilson is the attorney general of South Carolina.

This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 1:54 PM.