Skip to content

bar

RAINN’s Website Added to U.S. National Library of Medicine’s Historical Collections

The U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) has recognized RAINN’s website for inclusion in its historical collections of web content. This recognition is part of NLM’s vital mission to collect, preserve, and make available materials that provide valuable information in medicine and public health while documenting their histories. NLM’s web archive collections play a crucial role in contributing to the historical record, capturing information that might otherwise be lost in the ever-changing digital landscape. As…

Person using a laptop to read the news, on a purple background

RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline Experiences Nearly 50% Increase in Calls After Lifetime Airs Surviving R. Kelly: The Final Chapter

Washington, D.C. – RAINN released the following statement today after the January 2, 2023 and January 3, 20223 airing of Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly Part III: The Final Chapter, which featured RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline, 800.656.HOPE (4673) and hotline.RAINN.org. “Following the premiere of Surviving R. Kelly III: The Final Chapter, calls to RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline increased 46%. Many of the survivors who called had never told anyone what happened before speaking with…

RAINN, NY Lawmakers, Miss NY USA, and NY Anti-Sexual Violence Organizations Call on Lawmakers to Close New York’s Voluntary Incapacitation Loophole

Current New York statute requires that mental incapacitation result from a person being under the influence without their knowledge or consent New York, NY – Today RAINN, Miss New York USA Rachelle Di Stasio, Assemblyman Dinowitz, Assemblyman Hevesi, Former U.S. Congresswoman Maloney, and a coalition of other New York-based anti-sexual violence organizations called on New York lawmakers to close the state’s Volutary Incapacitation Loophole. “We must push lawmakers in New York to join 14 other…

RAINN-Supported Legislation to Rescue Children Who are Being Sexually Exploited Online Passes U.S. Senate

Washington, D.C. – The Senate just passed a bill to prioritize the rescue of children who are sexually abused and exploited online. The Project Safe Childhood Act Opens in a new tab↗, led by Sens. John Cornyn, Amy Klobuchar, Chuck Grassley, Marsha Blackburn, Lindsey Graham, Richard Blumenthal, and Chris Murphy, will provide law enforcement and prosecutors with the necessary resources and tools to effectively investigate cases of online sexual exploitation and abuse of children. Child…

RAINN-Backed TAKE IT DOWN Act Passes Congress!

Washington, D. C. (April 28, 2025) — Today Congress gave survivors of tech-enabled sexual abuse a historic win with the landslide passage of the RAINN-backed TAKE IT DOWN Act, fundamentally changing the way survivors experience the internet. TAKE IT DOWN criminalizes the distribution of non-consensual AI-generated intimate images, commonly called “deepfakes,” and requires online platforms to remove these images within 48 hours of being reported. RAINN, the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the country, has…

Hands typing on a cellphone.

RAINN Urges Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to Sign Bill to Close Spousal Rape Loophole

Columbus, O.H. (April 25, 2024) – RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization released the following statement as H.B. 161 Opens in a new tab↗ heads to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s desk. This bill eliminates the spousal exception rule and permits victims to testify against their spouse. It is necessary to prevent sexual violence and provide justice to survivors, regardless of marital status. Currently Ohio law makes it legal for someone to rape their spouse.…

RAINN Urges Governor Josh Green to Sign Bill to Extend Statutes of Limitations for Sex Crimes in Hawaii

Honolulu, H.I. (May 13, 2024) – RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization released the following statement as Hawaii SB 2439 Opens in a new tab↗ heads to Governor Josh Green’s desk to be signed into law: SB 2439 opens up a window for survivors to choose to pursue justice. The bill extends the statute of limitations for two years for civil actions brought by adult survivors of sexual violence. This provides adult survivors of…

RAINN Supports HHS Action on Non-Consensual Pelvic Exams in America’s Teaching Hospitals

On April 1, coinciding with the first day of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, RAINN applauded new guidance released today from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Opens in a new tab↗ that advises teaching hospitals to obtain written informed consent from patients before they undergo sensitive examinations while under anesthesia, like a pelvic, breast, rectal, or prostate exam, for teaching purposes. “This letter from HHS is a critical leap forward…

A doctor holds a stethoscope around his neck.

RAINN Statement on Sean “Diddy” Combs N.Y. Grand Jury Indictment

In response to the charges of racketeering, conspiracy, and sex trafficking against Sean “Diddy” Combs, RAINN released the following statement: “The scale of the allegations against Combs is truly stunning. I’m grateful to U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for pursuing this case so aggressively,” said Scott Berkowitz, RAINN founder and president. “Cases against the famous and powerful are watched very closely by survivors across the country. This indictment sends a clear message that every survivor deserves…

RAINN Statement on NY Court’s Overturning of Weinstein’s Felony Conviction

Washington, D.C. (April 25, 2024) – RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization released the following statement after the New York Court of Appeals overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction on felony sex crime charges with a 4-3 decision: If you are covering this story, please note RAINN has subject matter experts available for interview, comment, and reaction to support your coverage of this stunning decision. “Overturning the conviction of Harvey Weinstein is a horrible decision…