City Council to Hold Hearing On Community Healing and Trust Building After Sexual Abuse

The Boston City Council’s Committee on Strong Women, Families, and Communities will hold a hearing on community healing and trust building after sexual abuse. Sexual violence can occur to anyone at any age, including young children and is an act that can be perpetrated by strangers as well as caregivers, family members, friends, coaches, acquaintances, and intimate partners. These types of crimes perpetrated against individuals, especially children, are a serious public health problem with profound short and long-term impacts on physical and mental health for both the survivor and their families.

“In addition to the injury to the survivor and their families, there is a communal injury that results in loss of trust, faith, and generational trauma,” said Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards. “We need to find ways to come together and heal from these tragic events as a community.”

“This hearing is an opportunity to lift up the voices of survivors of sexual assault and the services that currently exist for the victims and their families, loved ones and communities at large,” said Councilor At-Large Flaherty. “It is also an opportunity to emphasize the need for more continuous support services for our victims and communities to allow for their healing.”

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the City of Boston currently provide services for survivors that are crucial to the healing journey of those impacted by sexual violence. This hearing order is a first-step conversation to assess what services are currently available as well as how best to address individual, family, and community trauma.

The hearing will be streaming live at boston.gov/city-council-tv on Friday, Nov. 20 at 1 p.m.

Visit https://www.boston.gov/public-notices/13670831 for more information.

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