$925K federal grant boosts sexual assault support in South Carolina
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Photo: South Carolina Department of Public Health
(WPDE) — A federal grant will assist a South Carolina agency to extend support and services to people who have experienced sexual assault.
The$925,389 funds will further allow the Dept. of Public Health to increase awareness about sexual violence in underserved communities.
The grant funds were awarded by the United States Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women and will cover two years.
Over the past several decades, survivors have been given services through the work of the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA) and the 15 rape crisis centers (RCCs) serving throughout the state.
Sexual violence remains a substantial issue in South Carolina, impacting people from every gender, race, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division reported there were 2,515 reported cases of sexual battery committed in 2021, and many more cases are not reported.
“Almost 30% of women in South Carolina are raped during their lifetime, with over 50% estimated to experience some form of sexual violence,” said Sara Barber, SCCADVASA’s Executive Director. “This funding is critical to sustaining the services provided by rape crisis centers in communities across our state that provide hope, healing and a pathway to wellbeing for survivors of these devastating intimate assaults.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), visit the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or reach out to a rape crisis center in your area.RCC services are available without having to report to law enforcement.
