SART PROMOTES SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH

Evansville, IN – Prosecuting Attorney Diana Moers announces that the Vanderburgh, Warrick, Posey, and Gibson County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) is recognizing April as sexual assault awareness month. SART will be mailing over 15,000 mailers to citizens of this community, as well as having 6 billboards throughout high traffic areas. The goal with this campaign is to increase awareness of resources available to victims of sex crimes and encourage reporting to law enforcement.

The mission of the Vanderburgh, Warrick, Posey, and Gibson County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) is to utilize each member discipline to ensure a victim- centered, effective response to sexual assault in Vanderburgh, Warrick, Posey, and Gibson counties by establishing and abiding by the sexual assault response protocols, analyzing trends in sex crimes, assessing services available to victims, encouraging members to stay up-to-date on trainings and best-practices, and overall advocacy for victims of sexual assault.

Members of the SART include Holly’s House, Albion Fellows Bacon Center, SANE nurses from Deaconess and Ascension St. Vincent, the SANE training program, Indiana State Police Laboratory, Evansville Police Department, Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, Posey County Sheriff’s Office, Gibson County Sheriff’s Office, Administrators from the University of Evansville and the University of Southern Indiana, and Prosecutor’s Offices from each county and their victim advocates. If you are a victim of sexual assault: • Call 911. An officer will respond and make a report; • Go to the Emergency Room for treatment if there is a sexual assault of any kind, if there are injuries or other physical or mental health concerns. You can be seen by specially trained medical staff; • An officer or the hospital can connect you with an advocate if you choose, or you may contact a local advocacy center directly. Advocates will walk with you through the investigation and legal procedures.

For more information on available resources for crime victims, please visit vccvr.org. Dial 911 for emergencies. *Thank you to Data Mail, Inc. and Lamar Advertising of Evansville for working with SART to make this campaign possible. ###