Williamson County proclaims April 2025 Sexual Assault Awareness Month; prosecutors and advocates urge continued support

The Williamson County Commissioners Court on April 2025 unanimously approved a proclamation designating April 2025 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, highlighting local multidisciplinary response efforts and thanking prosecutors, advocates and law enforcement for victim-centered services.

The proclamation, presented on behalf of the county's Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), cites national statistics and local service partners and was approved by motion, second and a 4-0 vote. Prosecutors and victim advocates said the recognition matters because it underscores continued community and interagency coordination for survivors.

Ryan Bounds, chief prosecutor of the Special Victims Unit at the district attorney's office, told the court he intended to express gratitude for the court's historical support. "You have in every way, been supportive, not just in words, but in your votes, for victims or survivors of [sexual] assault or domestic violence," Bounds said, adding that the proclamation matters to survivors even if it may seem primarily symbolic.

Kyla Coleman, senior victims coordinator for the Hutto Police Department and a member of the county's SART, described the team as a "multidisciplinary team that is law enforcement, community organizations that support our survivors in wrap around services," and said the group works to coordinate responses from initial report through prosecution so victims are supported throughout the process.

The proclamation text read aloud to the court named local service partners'including the Williamson County Children's Advocacy Center and Hope Alliance'and stated that Brave Alliance provides medical forensic exams serving Williamson County children and adult survivors. It also included national statistics noting that every 68 seconds an American is sexually assaulted and that nationally 81 percent of women and 43 percent of men report some form of sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime; those figures were presented in the proclamation language.

Commissioners thanked law enforcement, prosecutors and community providers. "I wish we didn't have to need you, but I'm glad that you and all the people of SART are here for the people in our county," a commissioner said during the meeting while noting the difficulty of the work and the county's partnership with local nonprofits.

The court moved, seconded and approved the proclamation 4-0; participants then posed for a group photograph in the courtroom.

Discussion versus decision: court members and presenters discussed the role of SART, local service partners and the need for victim-centered response; the formal action was the unanimous approval of the proclamation. No further policy or budget actions were adopted during the item.

Ending: Court members said the proclamation aimed both to recognize current services and to encourage continued attention to survivor needs in the county.