On March 31, President Obama proclaimed April as National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. In his proclamation, he stated that we must all stand up and speak out against the outrage of sexual assault.

There are currently more than 6,000 untested sexual-assault kits in the State of Washington. Last year, the Legislature passed a law mandating all kits must be sent to the state crime lab within 30 days of being collected. On April 1, one step further was taken when Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bipartisan bill that creates a system for tracking sexual assault kits. This means no more kits will sit untested on shelves, and survivors will be able to seek justice.

We can be proud of our state that we are the first state in the nation to pass this kind of law. Together, we can stand up and speak out against sexual assault.

In 2015, the Kitsap Sexual Assault Center provided services to more than 1,400 survivors and their families in Kitsap County. These services included advocacy to help clients through the legal system, therapy to help with the trauma related to the assault, and outreach and prevention presentations to the community.

If you or someone you know are in need of these services, please call either our 24-hour Crisis Line at 1-866-831-2050 or our office at 360-479-1788. All calls are kept confidential.

Staff of the Kitsap Sexual Assault Center
Port Orchard