New nonprofit to offer more support to sex assault victims
OURAY, Colo. (KREX) — Sexual assault victims in rural Colorado often face a lack of resources and support. A new nonprofit based in Ouray is looking to change that. A nonprofit called Ouray County Support and Advocacy Project or OCSAP.
“When you’re a victim of this kind of violence there’s typically a lot of shame associated with this type of victimization,” Heather Toth, board president of Ouray County Support and Advocacy Project told WesternSlopeNow.
In January, the Ouray Plaindealer reported charges involving rape against three teenagers. Then in February, the Telluride Daily Planet reported Brian Scranton, a Ridgway man, was charged with felony sexual assault. It’s the second time Scranton has been charged with a sex crime. He was acquitted of the first charge in 2015.
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What we would like to see with OCSAP is we’ll have trained certified advocates who help a person going through the aftermath of that kind of violence.
Heather Toth
Toth told WesternSlopeNow that while OCSAP isn’t offering any services to victims right now, they plan to be functional by the end of this year. On May 2, the board plans to announce OCSAP’s new executive director at one of their final fundraisers. You can buy tickets here.
What resources are available in Ouray County now?
Ouray County Commissioner and OCSAP Board Member Jake Niece told WesternSlopeNow that there is a law enforcement victim advocate housed in the Ouray County Sheriff’s Office. “[The] law enforcement victim advocate can only get involved once charges have been filed,” Niece said.
Tabitha Champlin is the only full-time member of Ouray County Victim Services. Champlin said in addition to supporting victims her group can walk them through the legal system and help get them access to the Crime Victims Compensation Fund and other resources like safe houses. “The resources we have available as far as what COVA (Colorado Organization of Victim Assistance) can cover and crime victims compensation can cover are system based,” Champlin said.
This means some victims of sexual violence fall through the cracks. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center says in 2017 victims reported 40% of rapes and sexual assaults to police but only 25% reported in 2018.
It can be really isolating. Because you may feel, or get the sense that everybody knows what happened to you and that might have a very real impact on your life, your ability to get a job, your ability to feel safe when you’re walking down the street.
Heather Toth
Toth and Niece told WesternSlopeNow they hope OCSAP’s impact goes beyond helping victims. “Sending a message to the community that we take sexual assault and intimate partner violence seriously and hopefully, that will act as a deterrence,” said Niece.
Learn more about OCSAP on their website.
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