[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 72 (Thursday, April 27, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H2905-H2906]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Bacon) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Sexual Assault 
Awareness Month and the need to support those who have been victimized 
by this terrible crime.
  According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, nearly 1 
in 4 women and 1 in 10 men will experience sexual violence, and 7 out 
of 10 sexual assault cases are committed by someone who the survivor 
knows.
  Nearly 50 percent of female survivors will experience PTS, or post 
trauma stress, and per the Rape and Incest National Network, only 2 
percent of those offenders will spend jail time or be convicted of a 
felony.
  Sex trafficking is a prevalent problem, and according to the U.S. 
State Department, 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across 
international borders. Of those numbers, 80 percent are female and half 
are children.
  Sex trafficking occurs when someone uses fraud, force, or coercion to 
cause a commercial sexual act with an adult or cause a minor to commit 
a commercial sexual act.
  Thus, victims of sex trafficking are also victims of assault. They 
are threatened, taken from families and loved ones, and forced to 
commit acts they would not do on their own free will.
  These statistics demand action. I personally know victims of sexual 
assault, and I have tackled it head-on while as a commander. I started 
this journey when I was a commander at the Ramstein Air Base in 
Germany.
  When I arrived there as a new base commander in 2008, the allegations 
of sexual assault were too high. I implemented a two-step solution to 
address the problem.
  First, all rape accusers, if willing to testify, would have their day 
in court, have their day to say what happened to a jury.
  Second, those convicted of rape would have their names and prison 
sentences distributed widely around the base. Our rates immediately 
improved. This program was later ranked by the Air Force as the number 
one sexual assault response program--the number one in the Air Force. 
So I take this issue seriously.
  I recently met with Courtney, a constituent in my district in Omaha, 
who was sexually assaulted while serving as a marine. She shared her 
story with me, including how she was treated after reporting the rape. 
And what she told me greatly disheartened me. I could not believe that 
someone who proudly served in uniform was basically ostracized by the 
very people she served with.

  She felt persecuted and ignored for daring to report an assault that 
should not have occurred, from simple acts of being ignored to having 
her belongings thrown out of the barracks in black trash bags by her 
fellow servicemen.
  Courtney was not only a victim of assault, but a victim of repeated 
backlash from superiors and colleagues. Courtney developed PTS because 
of not only the assault, but how she was treated for reporting the 
assault.
  In my district office is Makayla, an intern who at the young age of 
15 was molested by her father. Makayla's parents were divorced, and one 
weekend when she was alone with her biological father, the horrendous 
crime took place.
  She would live in fear for the next 2 years until, finally, by the 
grace of God, she told her mom what happened. The days following were a 
whirlwind, from giving testimony to telling her grandparents what their 
son had done to her.
  The lives of both women will never be the same. However, they both 
know and both knew that God would turn their trauma into triumph.
  Makayla is now a college student at the University of Nebraska Omaha 
and shares her story at colleges, schools, nonprofits, and other 
organizations all over Nebraska. After graduating, she wants to work in 
politics to change the policies surrounding sexual assault cases.
  Courtney is also speaking out and has started a blog on social media 
sites detailing her journey to recovery and sharing her story so others 
know that they are not alone.

[[Page H2906]]

  She also will be staying in touch with me about potential legislation 
and ideas to help those who are victims of sexual assault in the 
military.
  There are many in Omaha who deserve recognition for the work they do 
every day to combat sexual assault and human trafficking to help 
victims. The Women's Center for Advancement helps victims of sexual 
assault and domestic violence. They have a hotline that victims can 
call and make that their first step in getting the help they need.
  Project Harmony offers victims of child sexual assault the 
opportunity to take forensic interviews instead of having to appear in 
court, which can retraumatize the victims.
  The Coalition on Human Trafficking is training staff at hotels and 
motels to be able to identify possible victims of sex trafficking. The 
goal is to provide the awareness training to all hotels within a 50-
mile radius of Omaha, and to date they have trained over 85 locations.
  Finally, we can't forget the members of law enforcement who work 
tirelessly to catch those responsible for sexual assault and human 
trafficking. Without them, there would be so many more victims who 
would still be abused, assaulted, and traumatized.
  And while there are law enforcement and others dedicated to stopping 
these assaults and human trafficking, there is more that could be done.
  Earlier this month I joined my colleagues as an original cosponsor on 
H.R. 2052, also known as the PRIVATE Act, which would amend the Uniform 
Code of Military Justice to provide harsher penalties to anyone who 
engages in what is known as revenge porn.
  The Violence Against Women's Act of 1994 also helps provide some 
justice. This act used Federal funds to help investigate and prosecute 
sex offenders and establish the Office on Violence Against Women in the 
Department of Justice, a program we must continue to support.
  Finally, I have agreed to cosponsor H.R. 1035, the Extending Justice 
for Sex Crimes Act of 2017, which amends the statute of limitations for 
a victim of human trafficking or a Federal sexual offense to seek and 
recover damages.
  This bill sets a 10-year statute of limitations from the date the 
victim discovers the offense or injury and not when it occurred to file 
a civil action. It also extends the statute of limitations for a minor 
victim to file a civil action for 10 years from the date that the 
victim turns 18. Currently it stands at 3 years.
  Sexual assault and exploitation is a social problem and a crime. We 
need to step up and assist with prevention of these acts, prosecute the 
perpetrators, and provide the provisions for resources for victims.

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