MCASA in the News: Reported rapes, attempted rapes tripled in Annapolis in 2015

On February 23, 2016, the Capital Gazette wrote that the number of reported rapes and attempted rapes in Annapolis tripled from 2014 to 2015. The Annapolis police department is working with the State Attorney’s Office to do community outreach about sexual assault and teach the public how to respond to and to report these abuses. MCASA's Executive Director, Lisae Jordan, Esq., was quoted in the article.

"Sexual assaults are typically underreported, but recent attention to rapes on college campuses, in the military and human trafficking has helped bring awareness, said Lisae Jordan, the executive director of Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault.  'Any increase can cause concern, but it's not always correct to look at that as a bad thing. That might mean more victims are coming forward.'" -Meredith Newman, the Capital Gazette

Sexual assault is a chronically under-reported crime. Increases in reports of rape and attempted rape are difficult to interpret because they can either reflect a spike in incidence or increased public awareness and access to reporting. To find out more about MCASA’s efforts to reduce barriers to reporting sexual assault, please click here to view our 2016 legislative priorities. To view the full article, please click here.