U.S. Attorney’s Office Commemorates Sexual Assault Awareness Month

PORTLAND, Maine: This April, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maine joins the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), communities across the U.S., and sovereign Tribal nations in observing Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maine is proud to stand with victims, and announces that in Fiscal Year 2025, OVW awarded $9,635,137 to several grantees in Maine including the Family Violence Project, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, the Mi'kmaq Nation, Partners for Peace, the Penobscot Indian Nation, Pine Tree Legal Assistance, the Maine Department of Public Safety, Safe Voices, and the Next Step Domestic Violence Project.

"Sexual assault has impacts that can reverberate through an entire community. These crimes leave lasting scars, and, as federal prosecutors, we have a responsibility to the citizens of Maine to pursue justice," said United States Attorney for the District of Maine Andrew B. Benson.

Victims deserve safety, dignity, and justice. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maine is committed to prosecuting those who violate federal law and collaborating with local law enforcement and prosecutors to bring offenders to justice. Partners in our district have a key role in ensuring victims have access to resources for safety and healing.

We encourage everyone in our district to learn more about sexual assault and take steps to support friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors who have suffered these crimes. By understanding the signs of abuse and connecting victims to available resources, we can all play a role in creating safer, supportive communities.

For more information on sexual assault or to access resources, please visit mecasa.orgLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..

The Department of Justice funds essential victim services through its grants. Grantees of OVW andthe Department's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) run programs that support victims of sexual assault. There are many services available to help victims, including the Sexual Assault HotlineLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link., 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), and the StrongHearts Native HelplineLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link., 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483). In addition, OVW's website has a "Resources for Survivors" page, which lists state sexual assaultcoalitions that can direct victims to local resources and services, as well as opportunities to get involved.

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