Miami Accident Lawyer Blog
MIAMI, FL—August 17, 2011 – In analyzing U.S. Department of Education data concerning crime on college campuses during the year 2009, ABC Action News I-Team reporters found that the rate of forced sexual encounters at Florida State University (FSU) was twice as high as both Tallahassee-based Florida A&M University and Winter Park-based Rolllins College, which had the next highest rates of on-campus sexual assaults within the state.
According to reports, although FSU authorities made self-defense classes available to all female students interested in taking them since 1996, there were 10 cases of sexual assault reported on campus in 2009. The classes are reportedly offered through the university’s “rape aggression defense” program.
Terming college campus rape and sexual assault a “silent epidemic,” the U.S. Department of Justice estimated that the majority (as many as 95 percent) of forcible sex offenses are not reported to officials. Furthermore, it is estimated that about 25 percent of female students are subjected to an unwanted sexual encounter at some point during their college career.
Additionally, data posted on the American Association of University Women (AAUW) website stated that nearly half (40 percent) of sexual assault and rape victims unfortunately develop sexually transmitted diseases (STD), while just about as many seek mental health treatment following their attacks.
About the Miami Sexual Assault Lawyers and Personal Injury Attorneys of Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.
Working closely with advocacy groups such as the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC), the Miami sexual assault attorneys of Gerson & Schwartz are dedicated to protecting and enforcing the rights of rape and sexual assault victims. With more than 30 years of experiencing litigating a variety of complex injury and assault claims, the Florida injury attorneys of Gerson & Schwartz, P.A. will fight to help victims of sexual assault and rape obtain the justice a compensation they deserve.