Oklahoma courthouse honors survivors of sexual assault

SALLISAW — For the remainder of the month, the gazebo outside the Sequoyah County Courthouse will serve as a reminder to listen to those who say they have been sexually assaulted.

Sequoyah County law enforcement and justice officials and residents met outside the courthouse April 9 to light up the gazebo in teal in honor of victims and survivors of sexual assault. The gazebo was lit in the hope of underlining the importance of believing people who say they have been sexually assaulted, Sequoyah County sheriff’s investigator Cindy Smith with the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office said.

The event was held in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

“I want people to walk away from here understanding it does happen,” Smith said in reference to sexual assault.

Smith said between one in three and one in four women will be sexually assaulted at some point in their lives. She also said a percentage of men, who are less likely to speak up about their experiences than women, are sexually assaulted at some point in their lives as well.

Laura Kuester, director of Help In Crisis in Sequoyah County, added that some also blame the victim for what he or she wears or how much he or she drinks in the case of sexual assault. She said this type of blaming is especially common toward women who choose to speak out about their experiences.

“All of these things still exist today,” Kuester said. “That is not OK.”