Laramie Cops, Albany County Deputies Wear Jeans in Support of Sexual Assault Survivors
TRIGGER WARNING: If you have been sexually assaulted, this story may contain information that is painful or difficult to read.
Today is Denim Day, and the Laramie Police Department and Albany County Sheriff's Office are asking the community to join them by wearing jeans to help spread awareness about sexual assault and to show support for survivors.
Since 1999, Peace Over Violence has run its Denim Day campaign on a Wednesday in April in honor of Sexual Violence Awareness Month.
According to denimday.org,
The Denim Day story begins in Italy in 1992 when an 18-year-old girl was raped by the 45-year-old driving instructor who was taking her to her very first driving lesson. He took her to an isolated road, pulled her out of the car, removed her jeans, and forcefully raped her.
She reports the rape and the perpetrator is arrested and prosecuted. He is then convicted of rape and sentenced to jail. Years later, he appealed the conviction claiming that they had consensual sex. The Italian Supreme Court overturned the conviction and the perpetrator was released. A statement from the Court argued that because the victim was wearing very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was not rape but consensual sex. This became known throughout Italy as the 'jeans alibi.'
Enraged by the verdict, the women in the Italian Parliament launched a protest wearing jeans on the steps of the Supreme Court. This protest was picked up by international media which inspired the California Senate and Assembly to do the same on the steps of the Capitol in Sacramento. Patti Occhiuzzo Giggans, Executive Director of Peace Over Violence, saw this in the media and thought everyone should be wearing jeans to protest all of the myths about why women and girls are raped. Denim Day in LA was born. The first Denim Day in LA event was held in April of 1999 and has continued annually since.
According to RAINN statistics, an American is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds, and every nine minutes that victim is a child.
The Sheriff's Office says if you or someone you know may be a survivor of sexual abuse, sexual assault, inter-partner relationship violence, or domestic violence you're not alone and there are people who can help.
- National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
- Albany County Safe Project: 307-742-7273
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
- Albany County Non-Emergency Dispatch Line: 307-721-2526