What sexual assault victims should do as abortion laws change
The battle over abortion laws has hit several states across our nation.
Some states are banning the procedure after a number of weeks, or with exceptions for rape or incest.
Meanwhile, Alabama stands as the only state to ban the procedure with no exceptions.
Victims of sexual assault may soon be affected by such laws.
According to Amberly’s Place, there have been 24 reported cases of sexual assault this year in Yuma.
However, only one in three victims of sexual assault actually report it to authorities due to emotional trauma, shame, or intimidation by the investigation process.
Yet, Amberly’s Place Executive Director, Diane Umphress , urges sexual assault victims to come forward as soon as possible to report these traumatic crimes; especially because there are many variables that go into rape investigations that victims have no control over.
It’s also up to law enforcement on how long it takes to gather evidence and convict the perpetrator.
This long process, in certain states, could affect whether a woman meets the conditions of abortion laws if the victim becomes pregnant from sexual assault.
Umpress said, ” The goal is for people to report sexual assault as soon as they possibly can. Realizing how traumatic it is and how scary it is for them to do that if they can report it as soon as possible then help comes right away. And as a crisis advocate [center], our job is not to tell you, you shouldn’t have gone to that place. We’re there to walk you through the process. Nobody deserves to be raped. ”
With abortion laws changing, Arizona could be one of the next states to place more restrictions on the procedure.
In fact, just last year, Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill requiring doctors to ask women seeking abortions whether their pregnancy was a result of rape or incest.
The doctors would have to then report that information to the state.
However, Amberly’s Place is a safe space for victims to report any sexual or domestic assault, as well as receive immediate access to medical services and other resources.
Each year, Amberly’s Place holds a fundraiser to help with day to day needs, and they need your help.
The annual Amberly’s Place’s Week in Paradise gives participants the opportunity to win a variety of prizes from theme park getaways to a trip to Hawaii.
Visit their website to purchase tickets.
