Harris County Sexual Assault Response Team releases report on cases, officials discuss shortfalls
HOUSTON - On Wednesday, county leaders held a press conference to address the systemic shortfalls and recommendations found by the Harris County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). The SART inaugural biennial report reveals the state of sexual assault in Houston and Harris County.
SART agencies include medical providers, law enforcement agencies, community advocates, and the criminal justice systems in Harris County. The team is committed to the implementation and maintenance of a comprehensive, trauma-informed system of intervention and care for survivors of sexual assault.
"The number of sexual assaults in Harris County is extremely high," said Emilee Whitehurst, the president and CEO of the Houston Area Women's Center.
RELATED: Toddler sexually assaulted in bathroom by former Galleria employee: FBI
Kim Ogg, the District Attorney, Chief Troy Finner, of the Houston Police Department, and Adrian Garcia, the county commissioner, were some leaders who spoke at the event. The team discussed the shortfalls and recommendations to improve the reporting of sexual assaults.
"The bottom line is sexual assaults are not being reported, less are being investigated, and exponentially less are being prosecuted," said Whitehurst.
The report shows there were 3,779 sexual assaults reported to law enforcement in Harris County in 2021. The Houston Area Women's Center said those numbers don't truly describe the extent of sexual assault in the county because less than 10% are actually reported to police. In the state, 14,972 rapes were reported to law enforcement. The Texas Department of Public Safety recorded the numbers.
"I am here just to speak on behalf of all survivors," said Marlecia Price, a survivor. "It takes a lot of willpower and a lot of victims will lose momentum in trying to prosecute this, and that’s why so many offenders continue to go under the radar."
Officials said the improvements in investigation practice and prosecution of sexual assaults will help get more people in court.
"So now in this report, we are committing to this collaboration because without that collaboration, we’re not going to be able to address the issue of sexual violence," said Sonia Corrales, the deputy CEO of the Houston Area Women's Center.
The Houston Area Women's Center reported 6,436 calls for help through the HAWC Sexual Assault Hotline. The organization accompanied 311 survivors to the hospital and provided 9,498 services to sexual assault survivors.
Between January 2022 and August 2023, only 12% of sexual assault charges filed resulted in a conviction.