RAINN Statement on Rep. Akin's "Legitimate Rape" Comment

Representative Akin portrait
Rep Todd Akin

"Simply put, Rep. Akin's claim is ridiculous. While there was such a time when it was commonly believed that pregnancy couldn't result from rape, that time was hundreds of years ago. Now we know better. Each year, thousands of women become pregnant as the result of rape, and many more survivors are faced with PTSD, depression and other long-term results of the crime. Supporting survivors — and recognizing the impact of the crime on them — is the very least we should expect from our political leaders."

 

About RAINN
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization and was named one of “America’s 100 Best Charities” by Worth magazine. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotlines (800.656.HOPE and online.rainn.org) in partnership with more than 1,000 local rape crisis centers across the country and operates the DoD Safe Helpline for the Department of Defense. The hotlines have helped more than 1.7 million people since 1994. RAINN also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, help victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice. For more information about RAINN, please visit rainn.org.

The rape kit backlog is currently one of the biggest obstacles to prosecuting perpetrators of sexual violence.

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Out of every 1,000 sexual assaults, 310 are reported to the police.

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