Sexual Assault Center sees changes as more people report sexual assault

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — There appears to be a turning point in the reporting of sexual assault. While there has been a steady increase in the number of reports filed, activists say that means more people are coming forward to report it.

The Sexual Assault Center has been in Nashville for over 40 years and has witnessed the changes firsthand.

“Sexual assault is far too common. It’s a silent epidemic in our society,” said Rachel Freeman, executive director of the Nashville Sexual Assault Center. “People are talking about it a lot more. They seem a lot more ready and willing to have those conversations to address sexual assault and report it to authorities.”

Although it is a serious topic, more and more people are willing to discuss it.

“It’s no longer taboo here. It’s a conversation that people are now more open and willing to talk about,” Freeman said.

Unofficial data from the Metro Police showed a steady increase in the number of reported sexual assaults. However, given this high number, there is hope that more people will dare to report such assaults.

“We are seeing a steady increase in the number of people we see in the secure clinic who want to report their rape to the authorities. That’s a really good step. That’s good progress,” she said.

The largest increase was in the Midtown Hills Police Department, where the number of rape reports increased by 82.1 percent compared to the same period last year.

The number of reports in the Midtown Hills district has also increased significantly compared to last month. Preliminary data showed that only 15 reports were filed. As of June 1, 2024, 51 rapes were reported in the area.

The data came shortly after Governor Bill Lee signed a new law called Danielle’s Law (HB2216).

“I kind of came to and realized I was in my own room, in my own bed, being sexually assaulted,” Danielle Pyle said in an interview with News 2 earlier this year.

Pyle said she was the victim of rape. She was attacked by a stranger nearly three years ago while attending a friend’s birthday party.

During her testimony before lawmakers, Pyle said she did everything she was supposed to do after the incident, including filing a formal report with the Metro Nashville Police Department and ordering a rape kit from the Sexual Assault Center.

“I cooperated at every stage of the process,” she said.

A detective told her to call with any updates on her case, but then she learned that her file had been “sitting on a desk for eight months” and the Nashville District Attorney’s Office had declined to prosecute her case. She didn’t learn about her file until 13 months after she first reported it.

Currently, Tennessee law prohibits someone who has been raped or sexually assaulted from filing a lawsuit more than a year after the incident. However, HB2216 would give victims five years to file a lawsuit if there is a police report of the assault and three years if there is no police report.

“When someone has been through something like this, they want to go through the time-consuming criminal or civil process. Sometimes people don’t know right away whether they want to do that or not, and sometimes the process is lengthy. That’s why we want to make sure victims and survivors have the time they need to decide whether or not they want to pursue this,” Freeman said.

The Sexual Assault Center has a 24-hour nationwide crisis and support line if you or someone you know needs support after a sexual assault. You can call 1-866-811-RISE (7473).