A group of sexual assault survivors gathered to address the media Wednesday morning regarding the suspension of 4,000 cases within the Houston Police Department due to a lack of personnel.
Although none of the women who spoke up were directly impacted by the suspended cases, they felt compelled to share their stories and offer support to other victims of sexual assault. Sylvia Rodriguez, one of the survivors, expressed deep concern about the implications of the news.
“This news tells us we don’t matter,” Rodriguez emphasized. “This is terrible.”
Various sexual assault survivors and advocates have expressed apprehensions that the suspension of cases may deter victims from reaching out to law enforcement following incidents of sexual assault. Emily, another survivor, expressed hope that survivors will continue to come forward despite the challenges.
“I believe it’s important that every survivor try their best to report,” Emily stated. “The more voices there are, hopefully, we’ll eventually see change.”
Efforts to obtain updated statements from the Houston Police Department and Mayor John Whitmire on the matter were unsuccessful as they were not available for comment Wednesday afternoon.
