[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 69 (Monday, April 13, 2009)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 17069-17070]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-8571]



[[Page 17067]]

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Part IV





The President





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Proclamation 8359--National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, 2009



Executive Order 13507--Establishment of the White House Office of 
Health Reform
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  Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 69 / Monday, April 13, 2009 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

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                Proclamation 8359 of April 8, 2009

                
National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, 2009

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Sexual assault scars the lives of millions in the 
                United States. To increase awareness about this issue, 
                prevent future crimes, and aid victims, this month we 
                mark National Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

                Sexual assault is pervasive in the United States. Study 
                after study has shown that this crime impacts people at 
                all age levels and in every part of this Nation. One 
                recent study found that 18 percent of women in this 
                country have been raped in their lifetime. In addition, 
                rates of sexual assault remain startlingly high for 
                students from high school to college. A 2005 survey of 
                high school students found that 10.8 percent of girls 
                and 4.2 percent of boys from grades nine to twelve were 
                forced to have sexual intercourse at some time in their 
                lives. A study of college women found that 13.7 percent 
                of undergraduate women had been victims of at least one 
                completed sexual assault since entering college. Unlike 
                victims of sexual assault in the larger community, 
                students victimized by other students often face 
                additional challenges in a ``closed'' campus 
                environment. For example, a victim may continue to live 
                in danger if the perpetrator resides in the same 
                dormitory or attends the same classes. These statistics 
                are all the more alarming given that, according to 
                recent research, a majority of victims do not report 
                their attacks to police.

                Victims of all ages suffer from both the physical and 
                emotional consequences of the attack. Sexual assault 
                can lead to long-term health problems including chronic 
                pain, stomach problems, and sexually transmitted 
                diseases. It can also cause severe emotional harm that 
                may be even more painful than the assault itself and 
                resulting physical injuries. The effects of sexual 
                assault go well beyond the direct victim: sexual 
                assault also has a profound impact on a victim's 
                family, friends, neighbors, and workplace.

                Victims need an array of services to heal from the 
                trauma of sexual assault, including crisis 
                intervention, 24-hour sexual assault hotlines, medical 
                and criminal justice accompaniment, advocacy, and 
                counseling. Victim service providers are essential to 
                this effort and work tirelessly to help victims cope 
                with the trauma of sexual assault and transition from 
                ``victim'' to ``survivor.''

                Landmark legislation has helped fund these critical 
                services. The Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA, 
                Public Law 98-473) established the Crime Victims Fund 
                to fund services such as forensic sexual assault 
                examinations and compensation claims for both adult and 
                child victims. For example, since 1997, VOCA funding 
                has supported the development of Sexual Assault Nurse 
                Examiner (SANE) programs and multi-disciplinary Sexual 
                Assault Response Teams (SART). The Violence Against 
                Women Act of 2005 (VAWA, Public Law 109-162) authorized 
                the Sexual Assault Services Program, the first Federal 
                funding dedicated exclusively to sexual assault 
                services. The Program includes funding for culturally 
                specific programs that serve victims who face unique 
                cultural and linguistic barriers.

                In addition to helping victims, offenders must be held 
                accountable for their crimes. Sexual assault forensic 
                examinations and trained examiners can

[[Page 17070]]

                ensure that victims are treated with requisite 
                sensitivity and that critical evidence is collected to 
                facilitate a successful prosecution. To this end, VAWA 
                mandates that all States that accept Federal grants to 
                combat violence against women ensure that sexual 
                assault victims receive forensic examinations free of 
                charge, even if the victim chooses not to report the 
                crime to the police.

                To make continued progress, my Administration supports 
                efforts to help Americans better understand this issue. 
                Working together, we can reduce the incidence of sexual 
                assault and help all who have experienced this heinous 
                crime.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do hereby proclaim April 2009, as National 
                Sexual Assault Awareness Month. I urge all Americans to 
                respond to sexual assault by creating policies at work 
                and school, by engaging in discussions with family and 
                friends, and by making the prevention of sexual assault 
                a priority in their communities.

                 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. E9-8571
Filed 4-10-09; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3195-W9-P