MORE MUST BE DONE

One in every four women will be the victim of domestic violence. One in five women will be the victim of sexual assault. One in six women will be the victim of a stalker. The actual numbers may be even higher as these crimes are notoriously underreported and even more difficult to prosecute.

Last week such an horrific act hit our own community when an assailant followed a woman home to her apartment on 105th Street, forced his way inside, and brutally sexually assaulted her.

You may have also heard about the actions taken by a growing number of brave students at Columbia University who are speaking out about their experiences and how they have been impacted. Or the national conversation about how the NFL is responding to acts of domestic violence by its players.

As October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, this is an important time for us to reflect on the progress that's being made to create a society free from violence and abuse. But we must also recognize that more must be done. As we work towards strengthening the tools that law enforcement agencies have to go after these perpetrators, we must also continue to break down the culture of quiet tolerance towards these unacceptable acts.

In light of these events in our community and more broadly, I'm hosting a self-defense workshop, along with the NMIC's Domestic Violence Project and CLOTH. The class will help participants learn how to protect themselves if they are ever caught in such a terrible situation. It will also provide resources for sexual assault and domestic violence victims. For information on date and location please reach out to Sabine Franklin at 212-928-6814 or sfranklin@council.nyc.gov