ROCKINGHAM — Led by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the staff of New Horizons Life and Family Services, a small crowd paraded through downtown Wednesday to shed light on sexual assault.
New Horizons has organized the march for the past several years in recognition of April being designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Many participants wore shirts reading: “Consent: Let’s talk about it.”
Prior to the walk, Teshika Wall, interim executive director of New Horizons, welcomed those who took the time to come out at Harrington Square.
“I stand to be a voice for those who have had their own voice silenced by fear, shame, guilt, unbelief and pain,” Wall said, “…against a horrific crime that robs innocence, devastates lives and leaves its victims forever changed.”
Wall said victims should be reminded that they are not to blame for being assaulted.
“We take a stand saying, ‘We will not accept this in our community,” Wall continued.
The purpose of the march, Wall said, is to raise awareness and get others to join the fight “so that change can occur.
Citing statistics, Court Advocate Lacey Oliver said someone is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds.
“North Carolina is ranked No. 13 in the United States with around 3,336 reported rape incidents in 2023,” Oliver said. “This averages out to around eight people a day being sexually assaulted in North Carolina alone.”
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has investigated 32 cases of sexual assault since Jan. 1, 2023 —21 in 2023 and 11 so far this year. The Rockingham Police Department had 33 reported sexual assault cases in 2023.
As of April 17, there were 14 defendants in the Richmond County jail charged with sex crimes. Of those, 11 are accused of crimes against children, including several charged with sexual exploitation of a minor. Two of the defendants are accused of sexually assaulting adults and one is a convicted sex offender charged with failing to register.
Only 310 of every 1,000 sexual assaults are reported to law enforcement, Oliver said, adding that only 25 of 1,000 rapists “will end up in prison.”
While women are the most common victims, they’re not the only ones affected.
Oliver said that approximately 43.6% of women and 24.8% of men will experience some type of sexual assault during their lives.
Further stats on the New Horizons website shows that one-third of female victims were assaulted for the first time between the ages of 11 and 17.
“Change begins with awareness, and that’s what brings us here today,” Oliver said. “The teal ribbon in April represents Sexual Assault Awareness Month and we stand with the victims and survivors of a crime that should have never been committed.”
The pre-march program also included a prayer from New Horizons Board President Nigel Bristow, and a poem titled “Beyond the Mask” — written by a sexual assault survivor — read aloud by Bilingual Advocate Karina Padron.
Participants were offered teal ribbon lapel pins, sexual assault awareness bracelets and sandwiches from Jersey Mike’s Subs.
New Horizons also holds a domestic violence rally each October. Click here to read about the 2023 event.
Click here to read about the 2023 Sexual Assault Awareness March.
Last year, New Horizons received a grant from the Governor’s Crime Commission totaling $173,004.84 to help in its efforts to reduce domestic violence and sexual abuse in the county. Click here to read that story.
Anyone with questions or seeking services concerning sexual violence can contact New Horizons at 910-997-4448, visit newhorizonsagency.com, email Help@newhorizonsagency.com, or call the 24-hour Crisis Line at 910-997-4840.
See photos from the march below.
