Proclamation - Sexual Assault Awareness Month - April

Office of the Mayor 
City of El Mirage 
 
Proclamation 
In Support of Sexual Assault Awareness Month April 2024 
 
 
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 2024 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