Sexual violence in spotlight

Faces portray the gravity of the problem during Wednesday's rally. Clockwise from upper left: Freda Fultz, Tina Hite, Robert Kuhl, Commissioner Cathy Bowers (left) and Dr. Barbara Wotherspoon. Lugene Heimel photos

About a dozen people gathered at the courthouse square gazebo in Coudersport on a cold Wednesday night to hear some tough talk about one of society's most chilling and under reported crimes.

As part of the national observance of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Potter County's "A Way Out" organization gathered medical professionals and victims' advocates for a program to spread awareness of the crime and advice on how victims should react to an attack.

Featured speakers were Dr. Barbara Wotherspoon, an obsterician and gynecologist, and Tina Hite, R.N., an emergency room nurse, both affiliated with Charles Cole Memorial Hospital.

Wotherspoon pointed out that victims should not only summon law enforcement, they should also seek medical attention as soon as possible after an attack.

She and Hite emphasized the importance of preserving evidence of sexual assault, pointing out that hospital personnel are trained to recognize and gather such evidence.

"Rape is one of the most under reported crimes in America but, even so, the statistics of reported cases are alarming," Hite said.

Both speakers said the community must be supportive of victims.

Freda Fultz, executive director of A Way Out, spoke of the deeper problems in human relationships that are often revealed through sexual assault. She said every individual deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

"Sexual assault isn't just a crime of sex," Fultz pointed out. "It's a crime of violence and power, of someone exerting his or her will over another person, and that is so wrong."

Victims sometimes never recover from the physical or psychological wounds that are inflicted, she added.

"It's one of the most devastating things that can happen to a person," Fultz said. "The healing process is long and hard -- often a lifelong process."

Robert Kuhl, legal counsel for A Way Out, echoed the medical professionals' advice about collecting and preserving evidence.

He said, to protect the rights of the wrongly accused, the legal system has established a high standard for proving that sexual assault has occurred. Citing high-profile cases in which defendants were exonerated, Kuhl emphasized that sexual assault may still have occurred, but prosecutors and accusers failed to meet the evidentiary standards.