ATLANTA (October 1, 2015) | Sen. Renee Unterman (R – Buford) was appointed by Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle to the new Interim Senate Study Committee on Sexual Assault.
“It is upsetting that every year numerous sexual assault cases on Georgia’s college campuses are under-reported or unresolved, and are often not taken seriously,” said Sen. Unterman. “Students who have suffered from these attacks deserve to receive not only justice, but referrals and other services. As Chairman of this committee, my first goal is to listen to professionals who work in the field of sexual assault victims and begin improving the process of reporting and resolving sexual assault allegations. We will also be examining due process in relation to alleged perpetrators.”
The Association of American Universities (AAU) reported in a study this month that the percentage of reported campus sexual assaults has increased since their last study was completed. Although the percentage of assaults has increased, the percentage of cases that are actually reported to the authorities stands below 30 percent. More than 50 percent of victims said in the study that they did not report incidents because they do not think others will take them seriously or that they could not handle the emotional impact of telling someone else.
The Senate Study Committee on Sexual Assault is charged with examining the current legal process for sexual assault cases on college campuses and discussing possible changes and improvements to the ways in which these are recorded and handled. Meetings for the committee are scheduled to begin in November.
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For Immediate Release:
October 1, 2015
For Information Contact:
Jennifer Yarber, Director
Gavriella Coffman, Communications Associate
gavriella.coffman@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028