Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sexual Assault topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ottawa County commission proclaims April 2025 Sexual Assault Awareness Month; local advocate presents statistics and resources
Summary
The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners unanimously acknowledged Sexual Assault Awareness Month after Tanya Paul of DVACK read a proclamation with statewide and local statistics and provided 24/7 victim support contact numbers.
Tanya Paul, Outreach Specialist for the Domestic Violence Association of Central Kansas, read a proclamation designating April 2025 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and presented statewide and local data for attendees.
"April is designated as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a time to educate the public, honor survivors, and raise awareness about the prevalence of sexual violence," Paul said. She told the commission that "1 in 2 women and nearly 1 in 3 men will experience some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime," and cited Kansas reporting figures and local counts for DVACK's Concordia satellite catchment.
Paul also noted that within DVACK’s seven-county Concordia catchment area there were 11 incidents of rape reported in 2023 and that two arrests were made, representing 18.2% of reported cases resulting in an arrest. She described barriers survivors face, including stigma and resource gaps, and offered DVACK's 24/7 confidential hotline for support: (785) 827-5862 or toll free 1-800-874-1499.
Commissioner Duane Morris moved to acknowledge April 2025 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month; Commissioner Scott Mortimer seconded and the motion passed 2-0. The proclamation was entered into the record and the commission provided consensus to publicize the observance locally.
