United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee Commemorates Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Memphis, TN – United States Attorney Kevin Ritz joins the United States Department of Justice, the 
Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), advocates, survivors, victim service providers, justice 
professionals, police, first responders, and communities across the United States in commemorating 
Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Every April, we rededicate our efforts to ending 
sexual assault, believing survivors, strengthening prevention and education efforts, and holding 
offenders accountable.

U.S. Attorney Ritz said: “The impact of sexual assault can reverberate through an entire community. 
The crime leaves lasting harm and trauma on survivors, their families, friends, and can impact 
their schools and workplaces. As federal prosecutors, we have a responsibility to the citizens 
throughout the Western District of Tennessee to pursue accountability and justice for crimes of 
sexual violence.”

SAAM is a reminder of the importance of creating supportive environments and teaching young people 
ways to prevent sexual violence – including bystander intervention and mobilizing men and boys as 
allies. It is especially critical to reach young people with information and resources about sexual 
violence because over 80 percent of rape survivors report that they were first raped before age 25.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 33.5 million 
women and 4.5 million men are the victims of completed or attempted rape in their lifetime, and 
many more experience other forms of sexual violence. The CDC estimates more than half of women and 
nearly one third of men are victims of contact sexual violence in their lifetimes. Sexual violence 
can have a lasting impact on survivors, ranging from physical injury to mental health, to fear and 
safety concerns, to lifelong effects on financial and housing stability, employment, and educational attainment.

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For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @ WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.