[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 65 (Friday, May 16, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S4661]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               RAINN DAY

 Mr. D'AMATO. Mr. President, in 1995, there were over 350,000 
victims of rape or sexual assault. The Uniform Crime Reports indicate 
that means that there is one forcible rape every 5 minutes. The most 
startling aspect of sex crimes is that they go unreported. There are 
estimates that only 37 percent of all rapes are reported to the police.
  Victims of rape and sexual assault need a place to turn to and 
RAINN's national toll-free hotline for survivors of sexual assault 
reaches them. The hotline provides callers access to counseling 24 
hours a day, from anywhere in the country.
  RAINN is an acronym for rape, abuse, and incest national network. 
When a survivor calls the 800 number, a computer identifies the 
caller's location by reading the area code and the first three digits 
of the phone number. The call is routed to the rape crisis center 
nearest the caller. If the line is busy, the call will be routed to the 
next closest center.
  RAINN networks with 628 crisis centers across the Nation, responding 
to victim's immediate needs. Since its inception in 1994, this 
organization has helped more than 140,000 victims of sexual assault.
  I am bringing attention to the tremendous work of RAINN because at 
noon today, on May 16, radio stations across the United States will 
interrupt their regular programming to play a song from a rape 
survivor, Tori Amos. This is a nationwide call to action--a way to 
raise public awareness to what is happening to those victimized by 
rapists.
  I am proud to be an honorary co-chair of RAINN and commend all those 
involved in working on this national hotline, one of the most valuable 
resources for the survivor of rape or sexual abuse.
  RAINN was founded in July 1994 with grants from the Atlantic Group 
and Warner Music Group. Support is also provided by Westwood One, MCI, 
the Jacobs Family Foundation, the Ryka Rose Foundation, and the 
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

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