“We thank the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office for continuing its investigation and bringing additional charges against Harvey Weinstein. Seeing powerful perpetrators face justice sends a strong message to the public. We continue to be inspired by the survivors speaking out and moments like this when, no matter how powerful or well-connected, perpetrators of these crimes do not escape the harm they have caused.” - Scott Berkowitz, president of RAINN.

As the Pennsylvania Supreme Court weighs Bill Cosby’s appeal of his conviction, RAINN and its pro bono legal partners at Hogan Lovells US LLP, have filed an amicus brief arguing to uphold the verdict. “The similarities in Cosby’s crimes are no coincidence. Cosby has shown a clear and consistent pattern of predatory behavior,” said Berkowitz. “We support the court’s decision to allow testimony from other victims of Cosby to demonstrate his pattern of behavior.”

Returning to college campuses this fall will undoubtedly look unfamiliar for many college students, and for students who are survivors of sexual assault, navigating resources and reporting may be more challenging due to COVID-19. “Remote learning doesn’t mean sexual violence stops,” said Keeli Sorensen, vice president of victim services at RAINN. “We need to ensure that students are able to learn in a safe virtual environment and that they still feel supported by their university if something were to happen.”

A bipartisan group of members of Congress, led by Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Ben Cline (R-VA), has introduced the Child RESCUE Act, which will help ensure that children experiencing abuse can be identified and removed from harm as soon as possible. To create a proactive strategy to identify dual offenders and remove kids from harm, the Child RESCUE Act would establish a commission that brings together subject matter experts from the FBI, Department of Justice, RAINN, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Recently, as Congress has considered police reform legislation, RAINN has urged House and Senate leaders to include a number of additional changes to help survivors of sexual violence. RAINN’s suggestions address issues that disproportionately impact Black victims of sexual violence, especially Black girls, who are overrepresented in juvenile justice data.

Black girls are disproportionately represented in juvenile justice data. According to research, “Black girls are 14% of the youth population, but are 33% of girls who are detained and committed. Seventy-six percent of justice-involved girls have physical and sex abuse histories.”As Congress considers police reform legislation, RAINN has urged House and Senate leaders to include a number of additional reforms to address issues that disproportionately impact Black victims of sexual violence. 

This April, RAINN’s public policy team will be focusing on a few pieces of bipartisan federal legislation vital to getting justice for survivors of sexual violence. As members of Congress meet throughout the month to work on fiscal year 2021 appropriations, “RAINN will be there to make sure that legislators prioritize funding that will give survivors more access to sexual assault forensic nurse examiners and reduces the rape kit backlog,” says Camille Cooper, vice president of public policy.

Congress reauthorized the nation’s primary DNA testing program through 2024. The U.S. Senate voted to renew the Debbie Smith Act, which has increased the use of DNA and has led to more than 192,000 DNA matches in CODIS (the FBI’s DNA database system). The bill had already passed the House, and is now headed for the president to be signed into law.

RAINN, along with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Rep. Ann Wagner (MO-02), and CBS Television Studios, hosted a viewing and panel discussion of the new and critically-acclaimed limited series, Unbelievable on Capitol Hill. The panel discussion focused on the importance of passing the Debbie Smith Act to provide funding to end the rape kit backlog. Another focal point of the conversation was training law enforcement officers in trauma-informed sexual assault investigations.

In honor of RAINN’s 25th anniversary, each month we’ll be taking a closer look at the people and programs that are essential in our work to help survivors today and every day. This month, we’re shining a spotlight on RAINN’s public policy team. RAINN’s policy team works at federal and state levels to improve the criminal justice system, prevent sexual assault, and ensure justice for survivors.