Safe Space project launched

As Texas continues to see rising numbers of domestic violence, advocates say sexual assault is also happening more frequently during the pandemic.

“Part of that is due to the fact that people are sheltering in place with family members, and statistically, sexual assault is usually committed by someone you know,” said Victoria Smith, a project director at Lone Star Legal Aid.

The nonprofit, which provides legal services to underserved people in need across Texas, on Thursday launched a new outreach program aimed at putting survivors in touch with resources and educating the public about the nuances of sexual assault.

The Safe Space is a series of presentations on various topics related to sexual assault that will be broadcast live on Lone Star Legal Aid’s Facebook page the first Thursday of every month.

The first presentation, which streamed Thursday, focused on the services that Legal Aid for Survivors of Sexual Assault member organizations can provide to victims, such as representation in divorce and protective order cases, housing, mental health treatment and help finding employment. All of the organizations involved practice trauma-informed and victim-centric approaches.

Other topics that will be discussed in upcoming presentations include the relationship between strangulation and sexual violence, issues for male survivors, human trafficking, challenges for LGBTQ+ survivors, sexual harassment at work and teen dating violence, among others.

“There is a need for this for everyone, not just survivors,” said Smith. “We felt we could draw awareness to the issues survivors face on a daily basis.”

For more information, visit lonestarlegal.org.