HARRISBURG, Pa. — April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month in the United States, and lawmakers here in the Commonwealth want members of the General Assembly to step up prevention efforts.
"We have to work every day, every month, all year, to combat this issue and to make sure that those who are able to stand up and talk about their stories – that we amplify their voices, [and] take action to make sure that they get the justice that they need and they deserve," said State Representative Joanna McClinton (D- Delaware, Philadelphia).
"It's a person, it's a human, it's a story, it's a horrific experience and it took me eight years to ever talk about my own," said State Sen. Katie Muth (D- Berks, Chester, Montgomery).
McClinton and Muth are both pushing for legislation to establish a statewide rape kit tracking system.
They say House Bill 1848 and Senate Bill 860 would help to provide sexual assault survivors with the information they need to receive healing and justice.
It's a push that Donna Greco, the policy director for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, agrees with. Greco says evidence collection is a part of many victims' pathways towards healing and justice, which gives them a sense of control and provides them with options.
"After surviving a rape or sexual assault, victims should expect to be met at the hospital by a trauma-informed medical provider such as a sexual assault nurse examiner," said Greco. "An advocate from a rape crisis center [should be] made available to every victim to provide support and to provide them with information about what to expect after the exam which can take many hours."
Advocates stressed how invasive the rape-kit examination can be, which only amplifies the mental and physical trauma of a survivor.
"Can you imagine enduring a sexual assault that has you questioning every aspect of your day, your thoughts, your feelings, your actions?" asked LaQuisha Anthony, an advocacy coordinator for Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR).
Sarah, a sexual assault survivor, says she's been looking for answers to her missing rape kit for 536 days. She said if a tracking system was implemented in the state, her perpetrator would be held accountable for her and for any other potential victims.
"My rape kit could have confirmed my account of the rape; two, my rape kit could have connected my perpetrator to accounts in other jurisdictions; and three, my rape kit could have connected my perpetrators to other accounts in my other jurisdictions," she said.
Rep. McClinton reminds people sexual assault is varied across cases and people, regardless of age and gender.
Both pieces of legislation have received bipartisan and bicameral support and are currently sitting on their respective committees, which both sponsors hope can advance soon.