Sexual Assault Awareness Proclamation 2025

Office of the Mayor
City of El Mirage
Proclamation
In Support of Sexual Assault Awareness Month April 2025
WHEREAS nationally one in three women and one in four men will experience some form of sexual
assault in their lifetime; and one in two transgender and nonbinary individuals will experience some form of
sexual assault in their lifetime; and approximately 80% of sexual assaults are committed by someone
who is known to the victim; and,
WHEREAS Sexual Assault Awareness Month draws attention to the fact that this crime occurs far too
frequently, goes unreported far too often, and leaves long lasting physical and emotional scars; survivors have
faced this violence wherever life happens — at work, at school, at home, and online which can upend people’s
jobs and contribute to mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, and it
can have devastating effects on the emotional and mental development of younger victims; and
WHEREAS A person in America is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds, and every nine minutes
that victim is a child; about 66% of child rape victims are aged 13-17 and about 34% are under the age of
12.
WHEREAS there is compelling evidence that we can be successful in reducing sexual violence through
prevention education, increased awareness, and holding perpetrators who commit acts of violence responsible
for their actions; and
WHEREAS we must work together to educate our community about what can be done to prevent
sexual assault and how to support survivors; and
WHEREAS anyone can be a leader in preventing and ending sexual violence; as employers,
educators, parents/caregivers, and friends, we all have an obligation to uphold the basic principle that every
individual should be free from violence and fear; and
WHEREAS during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we recommit ourselves to lifting the veil of
secrecy and shame surrounding sexual violence, expanding support for victims, and strengthening our
response; and
WHEREAS we encourage every person to start conversations about what sexual violence is, take
action to prevent it, take action to help survivors connect with services, and to speak out against harmful
attitudes and actions;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Alexis Hermosillo, Mayor of the City of El Mirage, do
hereby proclaim the month of April 2025 to be Sexual Assault Awareness Month and ask that our
community work to keep our community members safe from this crime, and to stand together with survivors
and victims of sexual assault.
Alexis A. Hermosillo, Mayor