3100 rapes in Salt Lake in 2003

March 1st, 2012

3100 rapes in Salt Lake in 2003

Remember this story next time someone tells you that ther eis no need for legal self defense tools in peaceful Salt Lake or the U Campus.
” nearly 3,100 people who reported an incident of sexual assault or rape to the Rape Recovery Center in Salt Lake City during the year 2003″
Personally, I think the number is badly hyped, as we do not see reports of 9-10 rapes a day in the news media, but then again, we do not see many reports of legally carrried guns stopping attacks either.
John Spangler

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/news/658666.html?mkey=561334
Red flags represent rape victims
By Tyler Peterson
Published: Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Article Tools: Page 1 of 1

Media Credit: Bob Plumb
Tina Hatch puts up flags next to the Union on Monday afternoon. Each flag represents an individual who has been helped at the Rape Recovery Center in Salt Lake City.

To say that the sea of red flags near the Union Patio is noticeable would be an understatement, but not everybody who passes by knows exactly what the nearly 3,100 of them represent.

“I know why they are there. It’s the Holocaust,” said a young boy to his walking mates. “Let’s hide in them,” said a young girl next to him.

Student Grant Van Noy also guessed the flags had something to do with the Holocaust.

J.J. Haglund, a junior, “definitely noticed them” but had no idea about what they meant. “It’s very curious,” he said.

When he found out that each flag represented an individual who reported an incident of sexual assault or rape to the Rape Recovery Center in Salt Lake City during the year 2003, he was mind-boggled.

“I never imagined there would be that many [victims],” Haglund said.

For student group Peers Educating To End Rape, this kind of realization is what they aim to create with the display, which will remain in place until Friday.

“I think it does something very different when you see the flags out visually that each represent a different person’s life,” said Tina Hatch, a volunteer.

She and Christina Yong spent much of Monday morning replacing flags that the wind uprooted during the weekend.

For both, it was hard not to be affected by the nature of their work, pounding flags into position.

“I hate to see them knocked on the ground,” Hatch said.

“I’m trying not to think about it too hard, but my mind keeps going back to the fact that each one of these flags represents somebody whose body was violated,” Yong said, with a handful of flags in her hand and a hammer in the other.

The display is part of the Sexual Assault Awareness Month, presented at the U by PEER.

The group also will present a luncheon Tuesday from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Union Theatre. Ken Roach, a full-time counselor at Salt Lake County Youth Services and member of the Rape Recovery Center’s emergency response team, will speak about sexual violence.

“We’re just getting our name out there so people know there is a place on campus to go to if they are victims. If students want to get involved and join, that would be great too,” said Trevan Biddulph, president of the group.