JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 81% of women and 43% of men reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime.
That’s why on Tuesday, the City of Jacksonville officially declared April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and adopted the NSVRC’s theme, “Together we act, United we change.”
Recommended Videos
RELATED: Jacksonville City Council unanimously declares April 2025 as Arab American Heritage Month
The commemoration included speeches from Mayor Donna Deegan, Fourth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Melissa Nelson, JSO Director of Investigations and Homeland Security Mark Romano, and Community Education Coordinator at the Women’s Center of Jacksonville Amanda Rodeiro.
“Today and every day, we remain committed to standing with survivors, holding perpetrators accountable, and ending the culture that continues to make sexual assaults possible,” Deegan said.
She continued, “Any form of [sexual assault] is unacceptable, unwelcomed in Jacksonville. Jacksonville must always be a city where survivors are supported, where prevention is a shared responsibility and where we build systems rooted in empathy, equity, and justice.”
Deegan concluded her speech with a message to sexual assault survivors. “We see you, we hear you, we believe you, and we love you.”
Mark Romano spoke after Deegan, emphasizing the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s role in “advocating for crime survivors and preventing future victimization.”
“Perhaps in no other field of law enforcement is that truer than in prevention and enforcement of sexually motivated crimes,” Romano said.
He added that JSO believes empowering individuals is as critical as bringing offenders to justice, which Romano said can be seen in how the agency trains its officers.
“Our special assault unit is charged with the responsibility of investigating sexually motivated crimes, is staffed by specially trained detectives, [and are] educated in culturally competent and victim-centered techniques,” Romano said. “But to ensure that our response is consistent with best practices, JSO expanded this education to all officers.”
Also present at the event was Amanda Rodeiro, who shared staggering sexual assault statistics.
“Half of women, or even a third of men, have been affected by sexual violence sometime in their lifetime,” Rodeiro said. “And that shows that everyone has been affected by these issues, not just one person or even one group of people. Everyone has been affected.”
She continued, “To help everyone in those situations...you can always call our hotline, or we can come out, do workshops, speak with people, but the first step is always speaking up, and that’s the scariest, but there’s hope in that.”
It was hope and resources that helped Caimyn Raju get through her own sexual assault experience in 2018.
“I can speak on this now confidently, because it’s been years, and I truly feel like God has brought people into my life, a community of people, to lift me up, support me, carry me through that time, give me a shoulder to cry on,” Raju said.
It was her unseen resource of faith and tangible ones like the Women’s Center of Jacksonville that helped her see light in the darkest of days, but her biggest strength, she says, was her sister.
“She was able to take me there, walk me through everything, hold my hand every single step of the way, and be there for me for years afterward as I dealt with the roller coaster of emotions that came,” she said.
According to the Sexual Assault Victims Advocacy Center, a U.S. citizen is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds, and impacts are even felt locally.
The Quigley House, Clay County’s only domestic violence and sexual assault center, said it has seen an “alarming increase” in sexual assault cases, noting that since July, 28 new cases have been reported.
That’s 10 more cases than the entire previous fiscal year.
“Staff attribute the increase to several factors, including the county’s population growth, and the organization’s heightened active presence in the community, which raises more awareness,” the organization said.
Quigley House has also invited the public to attend activities throughout the month designed to “raise awareness, educate the community, and help break the stigma surrounding sexual assault.”
Below is a schedule for the events.
- April 1: Teal Tuesday – Wear teal and post to social media to show your support.
- April 2: Ribbon Vigil at Clay County Courthouse – Join us for a moment of reflection and remembrance.
- April 8, 10, 15, 17, 23: Color the Silence – Join us at local libraries for a unique activity aimed at breaking the silence surrounding sexual assault. (Check www.quigleyhouse.org for details)
- April 23: Spirit Night at Sonny’s BBQ in Orange Park from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM – Enjoy a meal and support survivors!
- April 30: Denim Day – Wear denim and post to social media in solidarity with survivors.
