Hawaii Attorney General on Sexual Assault Awareness Month: 'We must support every effort to raise awareness'

Politics
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April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Hawaii, thanks to Gov. David Ige and Attorney General Holly Shikada. | Adobe Stock

Hawaii Attorney General Holly T. Shikada supports Gov. David Ige's (D-HI) proclamation declaring April to be Sexual Assault Awareness month.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month is a national campaign to shine a light on sexual violence and how common it is. "Roads to Reconnection" is the theme for Hawaii's campaign.

“We must support every effort to raise awareness about the crime of sexual assault and the unacceptable impact it has on victims, survivors and our community as a whole,” Shikada said, according to the governor's website. “SAAM is just one small yet significant part of the continuing effort to prevent sexual assault and provide support for victims and survivors, and I applaud all of our partner agencies and organizations in what they do on a daily basis, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

In 2021, more than 1,000 adults and children received specialized services from sexual assault centers in Hawaii, and almost 1,800 calls were made to the 24-hour sexual assault hotline. Despite this, it is estimated that far more people are sexually assaulted than those numbers reveal and that they simply do not seek help. The state of Hawaii also offers a sexual assault response and training program, which is focused on trauma and the perspective of victims.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month is being managed in partnership with the Hawaii State Department of Health, the University of Hawaii, the Hawaii Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the Sex Abuse Treatment Center, amongst other organizations.