A new bill in Vermont is aiming to further protect victims of sexual violence, according to WCAX.
The bill, reportedly spearheaded by the Vermont Network Against Domestic Assault and Sexual Violence, would change the threshold for consent by stating that it cannot be given while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. It would also restart the state of VT’s college campus sexual harm task-force, while increasing data collection for law enforcement.
Democratic Representative Sarah Copeland Hanzas of Bradford, who is a sponsor of H.183, states that the bill is aimed at protecting survivors of sexual violence and bringing justice to the perpetrators. She said, “Our justice system is set up to consider sexual assault is a stranger in the bushes type of scenario and that’s too bad because men and women I’ve talked to report far too many life-altering experiences that don’t look anything like that.”
Data from the VT Youth Risk Behavior Survey states that 9% of high school girls report having experienced sexual assault before graduation.
WNTK Local News 