Washington County Proclaims April 2026 as Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month

County Judge John Nurburgger read and the Commissioner's Court approved a proclamation declaring April 2026 as Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month in Washington County.

Hilda Martinez, who identified herself as a staff member at Focusing Families, told the court the organization works with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking and provided data from the Texas Department of Public Safety. Martinez said reporting and conviction rates are low, that two in five women and one in five men in Texas have experienced sexual assault in their lifetimes, and that only about one in 10 survivors report the crime to law enforcement. "Consent is an active agreement for a specific act or activity and it can be changed at any time," Martinez said, urging education, active bystander intervention and community support.

Martinez also described the agency’s Behavior Intervention/Prevention (BIP) program for men court-mandated or referred from probation. She said the state-accredited, 24-week program focuses on addressing power-and-control conditioning and redirecting harmful behavior. Martinez invited the court and residents to participate in Denim Day on April 29 to protest victim‑blaming and raise awareness.

The court moved to approve the proclamation and carried the measure by voice vote. The proclamation asks county residents to increase awareness and support services for survivors and to engage with related legislative and volunteer efforts.

The session concluded with county officials thanking Focusing Families for its work and for providing informational packets to the court.