Focus is on victims of sexual assault

Victim Services Center to offer Sexual Assault Awareness Month programming Has public heath crisis prevented victims from reporting sexual assaults?

“I think that the numbers could be much higher . ... It might just be unsafe if you’re quarantined and you’re with the offender.” — Erin Milbourne, Victim Services Center of Montgomery County’s direct services supervisor

NORRISTOWN >> Recognizing April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the Victim Services Center of Montgomery County has a slate of virtual events all month long.

“For me, the most important part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, I think, is to provide our residents of our community really crucial education, but also to remind them that there’s a free center that can offer services to victims and significant others at no cost,” said Erin Milbourne, direct services supervisor for the Norristown-based nonprofit.

Jessica Carson, community education supervisor for Victim Services Center of Montgomery County, organized this month’s programming, which aimed to start a dialogue and assist survivors.

VIRTUAL >> PAGE2

NORRISTOWN >> As the Victim Services of Montgomery County kicks off a series of programs recognizing April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has prompted organizers to take their events online.

It begs the question: How has the public health crisis affected the reporting of sexual assault?

While the local statistics are unclear, Erin Milbourne, direct services supervisor with the Norristown-based nonprofit, noted a “major decrease even in calls to our hotline.”

“I think that the numbers could be much higher,” Milbourne said. “I’m thinking too about sexual violence that’s happening within a home. It might just be unsafe if you’re quarantined and you’re