Sexual assaults are up 42%, CMPD reports. Here’s what an advocate for victims says.
Sexual assaults increased 42% in the first half of 2021, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Chief Johnny Jennings said he wishes he knew why because he would “go after that reason.”
But one advocate for sexual assault victims says she sees the increase as more people being willing to report the crime.
From Jan. 1 to June 30, CMPD reported 155 sexual assaults, compared to 109 during the same period last year, the department reported Wednesday. A year ago, sexual assaults had decreased 34% from the same period in 2019.
Overall, crime decreased 6% from the same period in 2020, but violent crime increased 5%, police said.
The sexual assaults reported to CMPD are incidents that might have occurred in the past and involve people who are known to one another, Jennings said during the department’s weekly news conference.
“If there’s anything encouraging about this, I think the investigation into (sexual assaults) are pretty much dependent on information that we know, and we’re not looking at strangers that are going around assaulting individuals,” he said. “That does happen, but for the most part, those suspects are known to the victims.”
Cori Goldstein of Safe Alliance, which helps victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, says 80% of adult sexual assault survivors know their perpetrator. This number increases to 90% for child survivors, she says.
“That idea of stranger danger and someone lurking outside the window is not typically who is assaulting others,” said Goldstein, Safe Alliance’s deputy chief operating officer. “It really is about power and control, and it’s someone known to someone.”
‘More people are comfortable’
Safe Alliance is seeing consistent trends over the past year in the number of people calling its 24/7 Greater Charlotte Hope Line, Goldstein said.
“We tended to kind of trend higher around January, it went a little bit down, went back up around March, back down a little bit and then back up in June,” she said.
Goldstein says she has a different take on sexual assaults than CMPD.
“I personally don’t see that there’s an increase in assaults that are occurring,” she said. “I think more people are comfortable coming forward to share the assaults.”
This time last year, there were many reasons — including the pandemic quarantine — that kept victims from coming forward, she said.
“Survivors had to navigate through trauma during that time and then make the decision of do I want to move forward and report this? ... Is it even safe to speak with someone? To go to a hospital? To go report and meet with law enforcement?” she said.
As COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease and more people get COVID-19 vaccines, they’re socializing more, which Goldstein says doesn’t impact people wanting to report their assaults because there are other factors that influence their decision.
“I really think that it’s important for society to really see that if we’re going to prevent sexual assault, we really have to be able to communicate about it, support survivors and really hold people accountable,” she said.
Sexual assault, prevention tips
Some sexual assault prevention and safety tips from Purdue University:
▪ Trust your instincts. If you feel unsafe, get to a safe place and call for help.
▪ Walk with confidence and stay alert. Show that you’re aware and in control. Body language works to your advantage.
▪ Don’t be distracted with loud headphones.
▪ Define your sexual limits and practice being assertive about your boundaries.
▪ Get your own drinks; don’t let someone continually fill your cup or leave your drink unattended.
▪ If you feel uneasy about a situation, trust your instincts and attempt to interrupt the chain of events. Create a distraction and involve others.
▪ Don’t feel obligated to do anything you don’t want to do. “I don’t want to” is always a good enough reason.
▪ Avoid secluded places where you could vulnerable.
▪ Use the buddy system and watch out for each other.
Sexual assault, domestic violence resources
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233 (SAFE), live chat is also available
Safe Alliance Hope Line: 980-771-4673 (español: 980-771-4673)
National Teen Dating Violence Hotline: (ages 13-18) 866-331-9474 TEXT Love Is to 22522
Mecklenburg County Community Support Services: 704-336-3210
North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence: 919-956-9124
Atrium Domestic Violence Healthcare Project: 704-446-3999
This story was originally published July 14, 2021 at 7:19 PM.
