In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, several organizations in the Grand Valley partnered to create the "What Were You Wearing" art installation.
Included in the installation are donated clothes that resemble the clothes victims wore when they were assaulted.
One example in the installation was of a tie-dye shirt and jeans. The story attached described an individual who was assaulted by someone close to them. "She was like a sister to me. There had never been anything like that between us. Then it was like a switch flipped in her and all of a sudden what I didn't want didn't matter."
The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey shows about 43% of women and 25% of men experience some form of sexual violence in their lives.
If you or someone you know becomes a victim of sexual assault, the program manager for Hilltop Latimer House Kal-Greenman Baird says Latimer House is always there.
"If you would like to report to law enforcement you can call and report. However, you can also report anonymously. You can seek out a sexual assault nurse exam without having to report to law enforcement, and you can do that through calling services like Latimer House."
You can stop sexual assault before it happens by always locking the doors to your home and car, using the buddy system, making sure friends and family know where you are and avoiding using drugs or alcohol in excess.
To report a sexual assault or schedule a nurse exam, go to WesternSlopeNow.com and click on the link to this story.
