“The assumption is that policing will stop or prevent sexual violence,” @AfroLez “There is documented evidence that it does not. So why do we rely on the police as the only solution to sexual assault?”
#DefundThePolice https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/defund-police-movement-could-offer-sexual-assault-survivors-different-path-n1235478

Experts say the existing criminal justice system has failed to address the economic, sociopolitical and mental health factors that often correlate with sexual violence. #DefundThePolice

As a society there is an overall lack of education to help unpack issues such as a rape culture, consent and body autonomy — and too seldom are people actually held accountable for their wrongdoings. #DefundThePolice

“Our culture doesnt take sexual violence seriously and has failed to prioritize the rights, wants and needs of survivors,” said Judith Levine, the co-author of “The Feminist and the Sex Offender,” which explores the criminal justice system and its treatment of sex offenders.

In the USA: more than three-quarters of sexual assaults go unreported to the police. The second most cited reason why a survivor chooses not to report, after a fear of retaliation, was that survivors believed police wouldn’t do anything to help. #DefundThePolice

Cassandra Mensah, a lawyer who represents survivors of domestic violence, says by and large, prosecutors only take cases they can win, and when charges are filed, the court will often drop or reduce felony rape charges for guilty pleas on other crimes. #DefundThePolice

“If the case ever reaches trial, there’s a lot of questions that are lodged during cross-examination that is akin to revictimization, diminishing, victim shaming and blaming sexual assault survivors,” said Erica Meiners, a professor of education and women’s and gender studies.

“Defunding &abolishing the police offers opportunity to rethink how we support sexual assault survivors w/outreplicating or exacerbating the damage from our existing system,” Ejeris Dixon, exec-director at Vision Change Win Consulting,a Black-led, queer & trans social justice org

“We need to change rape culture into a culture of accountability.” Terri Poore, policy director at the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence. #DefundThePolice

“Prisons condition people into doing more violence and do not address the root causes of the issue,” Turner said. “How do we actually prevent people from enacting more violence and help them transform?” #DefundThePolice

Mimi Kim, co-founder of INCITE! - organizations dedicated to ending violence of all forms, particularly against women of color - transformative justice has seen a resurgence in this current political moment as people turn to alternative paths that don’t rely on punitive measures.