[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 97 (Friday, June 20, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1036]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING ACTION IN COMMUNITY THROUGH SERVICE SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS 
                ADVOCACY SERVICE ON ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 19, 2014

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the staff and 
volunteers for Action in Community Through Service Sexual Assault 
Victims Advocacy Service (ACTS SAVAS) as they celebrate 30 years of 
assistance and advocacy on behalf of survivors of sexual assault in 
Prince William County, Virginia.
  There are more than 235,000 sexual assaults every year in the United 
States. That is one assault every two minutes. Forty-four percent of 
survivors are under the age of eighteen, and eighty percent of 
survivors are under the age of thirty. Sixty percent of sexual assaults 
are not reported and ninety-seven percent of attackers will never spend 
a day in jail. These are staggering statistics, and they illustrate the 
challenges faced by ACTS SAVAS. There are few safe havens for these 
survivors. ACTS SAVAS provides survivors with a safe, secure place to 
go and receive counseling from experts who can assist with the healing 
and recovery process.
  SAVAS was first established in 1983, and in 2012, it joined Action in 
Community Through Service. ACTS SAVAS is the only center of its kind 
serving the Greater Prince William community. The staff and volunteers 
are dedicated to empowering survivors of sexual assault and their loved 
ones with the resources necessary to heal and move forward, while 
working towards ending all forms of sexual assault and combating human 
trafficking. ACTS SAVAS has provided assistance to more than 15,000 
individuals in the areas of crisis intervention, a 24-hour hotline, 
court companions for victims, adolescent and adult support groups, and 
community education and outreach.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in thanking the staff 
and volunteers of ACTS SAVAS for their many contributions during 30 
years of service to the Greater Prince William community. ACTS SAVAS 
engages an issue that threatens to undermine safety and trust in our 
community. For providing survivors of sexual assault with the resources 
they need to recover, ACTS SAVAS is certainly a vital service and is 
deserving of our highest praise.

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