YWCA providing support for survivors as organization recognizes Sexual Assault Awareness Month

The month of April is recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and organizations across the Oklahoma City metro are working to combat assaults while advocating for justice.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health says it has seen a higher rate of reported rapes in the nation over the last 10 years.

The YWCA is an organization dedicated to helping victims and survivors ages 13 and up to seek justice. By acting as advisors, the organization says it can help walk survivors through each step of the legal process while keeping everything confidential.

One woman who reached out to the YWCA says she came to them after she had been assaulted.

"I was assaulted when I was 29 years old by a massage therapist," Moriah Norman said. "It was right after the holidays, and so I was like, 'I should just go get a massage.' It was at a place I had been before, and, unfortunately, it didn't end like all the other massages I had before."

The man who assaulted Norman was sentenced to 16 years in prison, but Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond estimates 51.5% of Oklahoma women and 46.0% of men will experience sexual violence in their lifetime.

YWCA says its own statistics for men are increasing per year, but there are resources to get justice.

"We're a community-based advocacy program, so I can provide support during law enforcement and forensic exams, but we are completely separate from those things," YWCA advocate Sammi Harp said. "It's really important for survivors to know when they're reaching out to us, they can have an advocate and support without ever speaking to law enforcement."

The YWCA in Oklahoma City says they are partnered with local hospitals for SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) exams. Free exams for the month of April can be taken at Integris Southwest.

If you need an advocate, you can contact the YWCA's 24-hour hotline at (405) 943-7273.

For more information, visit the YWCA website.