‘NMI still not a safe place to report sexual assaults’

Minor and adult victims of sexual assault still do not feel “safe” reporting their ordeal in the closely-knit CNMI where perpetrators are slapped with sentences ranging from only a few days to a few years in prison, according to visiting officials of the National Organization of Sisters of Color Ending Sexual Assault.

SCESA is a Connecticut-based national advocacy group that is currently on Saipan to “assess the services for victims of sexual assault” to help craft strategies to end sexual assault in the CNMI and help get more funds for entities agencies dealing with the issue.

“The community has to do more so that victims of sexual assault feel it is safe to speak out. Victims will not speak out unless they feel it’s safe to do so,” SCESA executive director Condencia Brade said during Tuesday’s Rotary Club of Saipan meeting at the Hyatt Regency in Garapan.

Kiki Igitol and Denice Shoemake of the Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence yesterday said they have yet to finalize latest statistics on the number of sexual assault victims in the CNMI.

Brade, the guest speaker at the Rotary Club meeting, said the number is “significant,” considering that “what’s reported to the police is not the whole picture of what’s happening.”

During a question-and-answer at the meeting, Brade was asked by Rotary Club member Angelo Villagomez about her opinion on some sentences meted on sexual assault offenders that include “30 days, all suspended except for five days” or a fine of $50.

Brade said she has yet to meet with members of the Judiciary today to learn more about applicable laws in the CNMI.

“The severity of the punishment should match the severity of the crime. Another question that needs to be asked is, ‘How can you make the person accountable after he served his sentence’?” she said.

Proper training is also needed for police officers, nurses and other personnel that deal with victims of sexual assault, she added.

Victims of sexual assault should call the coalition hotline at 234-5100 for assistance and information.

Statistics

One in three minor girls falls prey to sexual assault, and one in five minor boys suffer the same fate.

For every four adult women, one is estimated to become a victim of sexual assault in their lifetime, said Brade, referring to national statistics. But she said this estimate may well be applicable to the CNMI as well.

Members of the Rotary Club of Saipan led by president Ben Babauta said the group will continue to support programs addressing sexual assault.

David Sablan, a past president of the Rotary Club, said he will request publishers to allow photos of sex offenders in the CNMI to be published in the newspaper to deter them from further doing harm. He also shared a custom in another Pacific island where members of the community confess to their wrongdoings during Sunday Mass.

The CNMI Department of Public Safety has yet to post sex offender information on its website.

Brade urged the Rotary Club members and the business community in general to help provide resources to victims of sexual assault. These resources include food, clothing, toiletries and others that victims need when they go to a shelter like Guma Esperansa after their ordeal.

“We ask you to think about what you can do to help provide resources needed by victims of sexual assault, and to help raise awareness about sexual assault,” Brade said.

National project

Brade lauded the efforts of the Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.

The coalition, she said, has been in attendance at several meetings coordinated by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, consistently ensuring that the needs of victims in the CNMI are included in national dialogues and processes to address violence against women.

“In response to their efforts and identified needs, OVW has provided funding for a specially assigned team to visit the CNMI and provide technical assistance and support as your administration and the CNMI Coalition continue to move forward in providing services while crafting strategies to end sexual assault in your islands,” Brade said in a March 15 letter to Gov. Benigno R. Fitial.

The two-page letter, a copy of which was obtained by Saipan Tribune, also recognized the government’s commitment to strengthen community involvement and capacity building for sexual assault services.

SCESA is leading efforts of a national project with the CNMI, aimed at supporting and strengthening the CNMI’s response to victims of sexual assault.

The project is initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, in partnership with SCESA and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

Brade and the rest of the SCESA team including communication specialist Sopheak Tek and program coordinator Val Fergus arrived on Saipan on Monday and have been meeting with representatives from DPS, the Commonwealth Health Center, victim services agencies and other agencies that come in contact with sexual assault survivors in the community.

Before coming to Saipan, the SCESA team was on Guam to do a similar assessment, and will also be headed for American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Results of the assessment will be shared with the coalition, said Brade.