Sexual Violence Up Dramatically in Utah

By John Yewell, 4-12-05

Is a culture of secrecy in Utah to blame for a dramatic increase in sexual assaults? That’s what Ned Searle thinks. Searle is the director of the Office on Violence Against Women and Families. He was reacting to a new report from the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, which showed that between 2000 and 2003 Utah’s rape rate grew by 93 percent. The state now ranks 14th in the country. "It's the secrecy and the silence that really perpetuate this. But us remaining silent, in essence, we've condoned it," Searle told the Deseret Morning News.
[End of article]