FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that Kentucky's rate of sexual violence is higher than the national average, with 45.8% of Kentucky women and 30.2% of Kentucky men experiencing sexual violence.
Advocates want to change that, so they went to the General Assembly on Tuesday to urge lawmakers to pass better policy. They say Kentucky needs stronger laws to prevent sexual violence and strengthen survivor services.
Jenna Cassady with the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs believes advocacy can make a big difference when it comes to stopping sexual violence. A few years ago, she shared her own sexual violence situation and worked with lawmakers to strengthen protections for teen rape victims.
"As a teenager, I was raped. When that happened to me, the laws didn't protect me adequately," Jenna Cassady said. "The legal challenges that we faced at the time created barriers to a successful prosecution."
"I was able to use that as an opportunity to carry my voice forward, which is always about doing it for other survivors and hoping we can make a meaning and impact of our stories," she added.
This year, Cassady and other advocates are pushing for more changes.
One of the bills they want to see become law is House Bill 521. This legislation updates Kentucky's stalking laws.
Advocates say the current laws are outdated because they have not kept up with phones, computers, and other technology that stalkers use to exploit victims.
As an example, the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs shared the experience of a woman who was stalked for more than a year.
"Everywhere she went - [he was] posting pictures of her online, sending her unwanted gifts. She was an athlete. He sent her a pair of custom shoes. He knew her shoe size. Think about that," Cassady said.
Advocates say police and prosecutors could not do anything about it because of the way Kentucky's stalking laws are written.
"He never made a threat, so prosecution for stalking wasn't an option," Cassady said.
Another bill being pushed for is House Bill 134. This creates a statewide coordinator for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, or SANEs. These nurses are highly specialized to work with victims of sexual violence.
"We know that these nurses provide the best care. They advance prosecution. Their input, their involvement, and their medical response to sexual assault is pivotal," Cassady said.
The problem Kentucky has now is that there is no infrastructure or communication for these nurses, making access to SANEs inconsistent across Kentucky.
"So, when a victim presents at the emergency department, even though a SANE might be nearby, there's a lack of communication, a lack of infrastructure. So, that SANE might not be available to come and help that survivor," Cassady said.
