The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence

A State of Emergency on Matters of Sexual Violence in Massachusetts

Horrifying accounts of gang-rape at the local schools. A serial rapist attacking women near a public transit station. Revelations of child abuse by clergy in the Catholic Church. Just eight months ago, in January 2002, the general public was faced with the pervasiveness and devastating impact of sexual violence.

The media spotlight and confluence of these highly publicized sexual assaults created an opportunity to mobilize for meaningful public discourse and concrete action. "While the public and political climate appeared conducive to action, the challenge was to develop a message and a vehicle that would, in and of itself, serve as an instrument of systemic change," noted Catherine M. Greene, Associate Executive Director for Public Affairs.

On February 22, 2002, Jane Doe Inc. called upon Governor Jane Swift to declare a State of Emergency on Matters of Sexual Violence. Judith E. Beals, Executive Director of Jane Doe Inc., emphasized the need for immediate action, "Sexual violence is in the very fabric of our society. An officially sanctioned forum for state agencies, advocates, and other critical partners is needed to ensure the on-going collaboration, development and implementation of responsive public policy. Jane Doe Inc. called for the following specific actions:

  1. Establishment of a Task Force on Matters of Sexual Violence
  2. Inclusion of voices of advocates and survivors on the Blue Ribbon Commission of the Archdiocese of Boston
  3. Mandated training for all members of the judiciary and court personnel
  4. Enhanced sentencing guidelines for crimes of sexual assault
  5. Increased funding and support for public prevention education
  6. Extended mandatory reporting obligations to members of the clergy

Support for these items came from many corners - legislators, human service providers, academics, and survivors. A Boston Globe Editorial urged the Governor to act upon Jane Doe Inc.´s request to form a Task Force to work to remove barriers that prevent victims from coming forward and allow abusers to evade accountability.

On April 30, 2002, Governor Swift signed an Executive Order establishing the Governor´s Task Force on Sexual Assault and Abuse. Jane Doe Inc. was appointed to the Task Force along with representatives from advocacy groups and state government. The Task Force is charged with identifying gaps in services and efforts to hold offenders accountable and articulating critical changes to policy and practice within various sectors.

To begin the dialogue, the Task Force held five public hearings around the state. Dozens upon dozens of survivors came forward. With courage and eloquence, these survivors identified gaps in services and barriers to accessing the criminal justice system and offered concrete recommendations for improvement.

Advocates from Jane Doe Inc. member programs participated in the hearings. "In a supposedly free society such as ours, over half the population lives in fear of being raped or having their bodies exploited and objectified," stated Kari Whitney, an educator with HAWC (Help for Abused Women and Children) based in Salem, MA.

"The culture of silence adds to the pain suffered by survivors," noted April Horne, Assistant Director of Education at the Rape Crisis Services of Greater Lowell. A majority of the testimonies spoke to the need to undo myths and cultural barriers regarding sexual violence.

Other advocates spoke to the need for increased coordinated efforts. Jennifer Lawson, Director of the statewide Domestic Violence SafeLink hotline, pointed out that "the lack of coordinated victim and survivor services results in a system ill- equipped to address the complexities of multiple and overlapping traumas."

Jane Doe Inc. applauds the Governor for taking this bold step to elevate the issues of sexual assault and child abuse on the public agenda, removing the cloak of silence that too often has left victims to suffer alone and ashamed while not holding sexual offenders accountable for these crimes. A truly coordinated statewide response requires the bringing together of the voices of survivors together with those of teachers, law enforcement officials, direct service providers, medical professionals, clergy and others, we can create.

A final report from the Task Force is expected in October of 2002. Beals noted, "This has been a watershed year in moving sexual violence and the need for adequate prevention and intervention services to the priority list of public health and public safety concerns in Massachusetts for the next Administration and beyond."

Related Information