New Horizons leads march through Rockingham against sexual assault

ROCKINGHAM — Employees of New Horizons Life and Family Services marched through the downtown streets during the lunchtime hour Thursday carrying a banner to bring awareness to sexual assault.

They were joined by Richmond County sheriff’s deputies and others as they made the trip from Harrington Square down East Franklin Street and back up East Washington Street.

In addition to being designated for other causes, April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Several poster boards at the square featured statistics about sexual assault:

• Nine out of 10 rape victims are female
• Of the sexual assault victims under the age of 18, 66% are 12-17 years old and 34% are under 12
• Fifty-five percent of sexual assaults happen at or near the victim’s home
• One out of every six American women have been the victim of rape or an attempt
• About 3% of American men have experienced rape or sexual assault
• An American is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds

While there were no local statistics readily available, there are currently six men being held in the Richmond County jail on sexual assault charges. Two of them were charged in 2019, one in 2020, two in 2021, and one this past March.

All but one are accused of sexually assaulting children.

All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

A brochure offers the steps a victim should take:

• Go to a safe place
• Do not shower or change clothes to preserve evidence
• Go to the local hospital’s emergency room
• Seek counseling to help deal with the trauma

Anyone with questions or seeking services concerning sexual violence can contact New Horizons at 910-997-4448, visit newhorizonsagency.com, email womenfolkunlimited@yahoo.com, or call the Crisis Line at 910-997-4840.