Today, President Obama signed into law the Sexual Assault Survivors Rights Act, establishing a set of guidelines for the federal government handles forensic evidence gathered after a person reports a sexual assault, otherwise known as a rape kit.
California Terminates Statute of Limitations in Wake of Cosby Allegations
Last week California Gov. Jerry Brown approved the Justice for Victims Act, which will eliminate the state’s statute of limitations for prosecuting rape and other felony sex crimes.
Obama Administration Issues Title IX Guidance to K-12 Schools
Today the Obama administration released notices to K-12 schools concerning their obligations to prevent and address sexual harassment and assault under Title IX.
Stanford’s Ban on Hard Alcohol Sends the Wrong Message About Sexual Assault
This past Monday, Stanford University banned hard alcohol from undergraduate parties and residences in the wake of the national outrage following the Brock Turner sexual assault case.
Baltimore Police Completely Neglected Rape Victims According to Department of Justice Report
The scathing report on the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) issued by the Department of Justice last week highlights victims of police misconduct not typically discussed: sexual assault survivors.
New Report Finds Doctors Who Sexually Abuse Patients Receive Little Punishment
The Atlantic Journal-Constitution released a year-long investigative report on Tuesday documenting the minimal punishments doctors who have been found guilty of sexual abuse receive.
Supreme Court Upholds Tribal Sovereignty in Split Decision
The Supreme Court yesterday affirmed that non-Tribal businesses and individuals can legally face civil suit in Tribal courts.
Six-Month Sentence for Brock Turner in Stanford Rape Case Ignites Outrage
National outrage erupted earlier this month after Brock Turner, a convicted rapist, was given a six-month sentence in county jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman on Stanford’s campus in January 2015.
Federal Court Rejects Title IX Claim Made By Columbia Student Accused of Sexual Assault
A federal district court judge dismissed a lawsuit on Friday from a former Columbia University student who claimed that the university had violated Title IX by failing to protect him after one of his accusers, Emma Sulkowicz, publicly protested the university’s failure to find him responsible for sexual misconduct.
Holtzclaw Convicted of Rape, Sexual Battery
After 45 hours of deliberations, a jury found former Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw guilty on 18 charges, including rape and sexual battery, for assaulting 13 black women over the course of seven months while on duty.
Hundreds of Police Officers Lost Jobs for Committing Sexual Assault
Over the last six years, about 1,000 police officers in the United States lost their badges because of sexual misconduct, according to an investigation by the Associated Press.
Lawmakers Pledge $80 Million to Eliminate Rape Kit Backlogs Nationwide
Joe Biden announces million dollar plan to clear the massive national rape kit backlog.
“Yes Means Yes” Sex Education Could Spread to California High Schools
Rather than depending on the popular mantra “no means no,” consent under this legislation requires an “affirmative, conscious and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity.”
Fraternity Signs Promote Rape Culture, Elicit Outrage
The signs, which ask for first-year women- and their moms- to be dropped off at an ODU fraternity “for a good time,” have elicited outrage and a promise of disciplinary action from the University.
Texas Woman Files Complaint After Officer Forcibly Searches her Vagina
“I feel like they sexually assaulted me! I really do,” Charnesia Corley said about a forced body-cavity search following a traffic stop in which a Texas deputy claimed he smelled marijuana.
President Obama’s Definition of Rape is a Sign of Progress
President Obama was recently asked about Bill Cosby – and in his answer, gave a modern definition of consent that has feminists across the country applauding.
This DC Council Member Wants Sexual Assault Convictions to Appear on College Transcripts
DC At-Large Council member Anita Bonds proposed new legislation this week that would require colleges and universities to clearly mark the transcript of a college student convicted of sexual assault while on campus, putting it permanently on a student’s college record.
The Senate Blocked the Military Justice Improvement Act Again
The Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA), championed by Senator Kirsten Gilibrand (D-NY), was once again blocked by the Senate in a vote yesterday.
New Poll Reaffirms That 1 in 5 College Women are Sexually Assaulted
The data also show that students are divided about the definition of consent, that victims of sexual assault suffer from trauma, and that a small minority of victims report the crime.
Senator Gillibrand Continues Fight for Military Justice Improvement Act
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand yesterday filed the Military Justice Improvement Act as an amendment to the FY16 National Defense Authorization Act.