Sexual violence fight marches on

Joyce announces creation of Sexual Violence Prevention & Awareness Task Force

Coinciding with sexual assault awareness month, four U.S. representatives have announced the creation of Sexual Violence Prevention & Awareness Task Force.

Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Russell Township, is co-chairing the bipartisan committee along with Reps. Patrick Meehan, R-Pennsylvania, Ann McLane Kuster, D-New Hampshire, and Jackie Speier, D-California.

The task force will focus on “advancing bipartisan bills and raising awareness about the issue of sexual violence, including crimes such as sexual assault, rape, and sexual abuse,” according to a news release.

There are an average of 321,500 victims (12 and older) of rape and sexual assault each year in the U.S. The co-chairs of the task force said it is important to make sure Congress is “doing what it can on the federal level to help victims of sexual assault, and to ensure clarity and

There are an average of 321,500 victims (12 and older) of rape and sexual assault each year in the U.S.

consistency in the process.”

“As a father of three, I am working to create an environment that fosters safety for our young people, and where victims of sexual assault can come forward without fear of retribution and stigma.” Joyce said in a statement.

Joyce served as a Geauga County prosecutor for 25 years before becoming a U.S. representative He said a priority is giving communities the resources they need to address the sexual assault kit backlog.

“It is important to shed light on this critical issue and provide resources needed to aid police efforts

to address the backlog of thousands of rape kits sitting in police evidence rooms.” Joyce said.

According to the release, the total number of unanalyzed sexual assaults kits nationally is unknown because many jurisdictions have outdated tracking and counting systems.

The advancement of computerized evidence-tracking systems, along with modern DNA forensic analysis, which was not widely used until the late 1990s, provides an opportunity to more accurately test and positively match sexual assault kits.

These tests will help determine sexual offending patterns and stop serial rapists and to investigate and prosecute, when possible, in cases of unsolved assaults.

Joyce