The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is launching a counseling program for Black survivors of sexual assault who are in the middle of legal action.
The center will use a curriculum created by Cleveland-area psychologist Tyffani Dent specifically designed for African Americans. Sessions will aim to address both the trauma of sexual assault and the community pressure survivors often feel to not help to send a Black man to prison.
“A lot of times, they don’t trust the system even as a victim,” said Cleveland Rape Crisis Center Chief Advocacy Officer Teresa Stafford. “We want to make sure they have that additional support and can get the justice that they are seeking.”
For every sexual assault reported, about 15 more are never brought to the police because of the circumstances Black women face, Stafford said.
“They have additional pressure sometimes when they’re engaging with the criminal justice system, especially if their perpetrator is from the same race or ethnic group as they are from,” said Stafford.
Dear Friend:
This is urgent. Survivors of rape, sexual abuse, and human trafficking are reaching out for help more than ever before.
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center needs your help as we seek funding to support our core services through the Cuyahoga County budget process. Your voice can make a difference.
Thank you for advocating for survivors in our community.
Sondra Miller
President & CEO
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
Not sure who your Council member is? Look it up here.
County Executive Armond Budish: abudish@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 443-7181
Council President Dan Brady: dbrady@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2014
Councilwoman Nan Baker: nbaker@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2047
Councilwoman Shontel Brown: sbrown@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2023
Councilwoman Yvonne Conwell: yconwell@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2017
Councilman Michael Gallagher: mjgallagher@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2015
Councilman Pernel Jones, Jr.: pjones@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2019
Councilman Dale Miller: damiller@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2011
Councilman Jack Schron: jschron@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2016
Councilwoman Sunny Simon: ssimon@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2035
Councilwoman Cheryl Stephens: clstephens@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2022
Councilman Scott Tuma: stuma@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2013
Dear Friend:
Yesterday, I joined Attorney General Dave Yost and statewide anti-human trafficking partners to announce the results of the largest anti-human trafficking operation in Ohio’s history. Operation Autumn Hope identified over 100 trafficking survivors and Cleveland Rape Crisis Center’s team of Advocates provided survivors with support and access to healing services.
Since our agency was founded in 1974, even before we had the term ‘human trafficking,’ survivors of sex trafficking have trusted us with their stories and healing journeys. We know that now, in the COVID-19 pandemic, far too many women, children, and men in our community remain vulnerable to human trafficking.
That’s why I’m emailing you today, to ask for your help. Please contact your Cuyahoga County Council member and Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish today, asking them to approve county funding for Cleveland Rape Crisis Center.
We’ve provided sample messages and contact information below.
Thank you for supporting survivors.
Sondra Miller
President & CEO
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
Not sure who your Council member is? Look it up here.
County Executive Armond Budish: abudish@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 443-7181
Council President Dan Brady: dbrady@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2014
Councilwoman Nan Baker: nbaker@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2047
Councilwoman Shontel Brown: sbrown@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2023
Councilwoman Yvonne Conwell: yconwell@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2017
Councilman Michael Gallagher: mjgallagher@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2015
Councilman Pernel Jones, Jr.: pjones@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2019
Councilman Dale Miller: damiller@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2011
Councilman Jack Schron: jschron@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2016
Councilwoman Sunny Simon: ssimon@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2035
Councilwoman Cheryl Stephens: clstephens@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2022
Councilman Scott Tuma: stuma@cuyahogacounty.us, (216) 698-2013
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Federal, state, and local officials launched what they say is the largest anti-human-trafficking operation in state history last week, rescuing 154 victims and arresting 179 men for illegally soliciting sex and other crimes.
During Operation Autumn Hope, which involved more than 50 law enforcement agencies and social-service organizations, state and local authorities cracked down on adult sex trafficking in Cuyahoga, Franklin, and Lucas counties, as well as people soliciting sex with children in Franklin and Mahoning counties. The U.S. Marshals Service, meanwhile, focused on saving child sex victims in Southern Ohio.
During the operation, 109 human-trafficking survivors – all women and mostly adults – were found and referred to social services in Cuyahoga, Franklin, and Lucas counties, according to a release from Attorney General Dave Yost’s office.
Simultaneously, 76 cases of missing and exploited children were cleared up, and 45 children were physically rescued, the release stated. One of the missing children was a 15-year-old Cleveland girl linked to an individual in Columbus suspected of human trafficking, the release stated.
Authorities arrested a total of 157 men in Cuyahoga, Franklin and Lucas counties on charges of soliciting and other crimes, according to Yost’s office. An additional 22 men in Franklin and Mahoning counties have been charged with felony crimes related to attempting to have sex with a minor.
The operation had been planned for several months prior to it being put into action, according to Yost spokesman Steve Irwin.
“The success of Operation Autumn Hope is measured not only in the number of arrests but in the lives that were rescued from this evil,” Yost said. “Every agency on this team looks for the day when no person is bought and sold in Ohio. Don’t buy sex in Ohio!”
Sondra Miller, president and CEO of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, said during an online news conference that the operation has given hope to sex trafficking survivors.
“It is very likely that you prevented many others from being harmed in unimaginable ways,” Miller said. “Human trafficking thrives in the shadows of our communities where survivors feel unseen and unheard, and the COVID pandemic has made those shadows bigger and darker, making far too many women, children, and men fall prey.”
Have questions or need support?
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is here for survivors of trafficking and anyone looking for support or information. Call the 24-Hour Project STAR Hotline: 855-431-STAR (7827).
By: Sondra Miller, President and CEO of Cleveland Rape Crisis Center and Melissa Graves, Chief Executive Officer of Journey Center for Safety and Healing (formerly Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center)
It just doesn’t add up.
Across our region, survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking are reaching out for help more than ever before.
A global pandemic quarantined women and children with their abusers. The subsequent economic crisis and the record unemployment rate has made more people more vulnerable to predators looking to exploit their bodies for personal gain.
At Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, the number of hotline calls has more than doubled in recent years, and the Journey Center for Safety and Healing (formerly Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center) has seen a surge in need for support, advocacy and shelter.
Our community has worked hard over decades to bring violence, abuse and trafficking out of the shadows and into the spotlight. Our efforts to prevent violence are gaining traction. Now is the time to reinforce, not dismantle, these critical services.
So why, then, over the course of several months are we quietly defunding services to survivors and the agencies who support them?
We need your help to support survivors on their journey to health, safety and healing.
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, an organization dedicated to providing direct services to survivors of rape and sexual abuse, is pleased to announce the opening of its new Clark-Fulton Office inside the Astrup Building, located at 2937 West 25th Street, 2nd Floor, Cleveland, OH 44113.
This office will allow Cleveland Rape Crisis Center to better serve residents of Cleveland and the surrounding areas, including Latinx survivors.
“We chose Clark-Fulton because this neighborhood is home to the densest population of Hispanic and Latinx residents in Ohio,” said Miller. “We want all survivors to know that we believe them, and we are here for them. Survivors of rape, sexual abuse and human trafficking deserve access to high-quality healing services close to where they live and work.”
The Astrup Building is located around the corner from where Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry and Michelle Knight were held captive for years.
“This neighborhood has a history that we never want to forget, but Cleveland Rape Crisis Center also wants to be a part of its strong future,” said Sondra Miller, President & CEO of Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. “The Clark-Fulton neighborhood is vibrant and diverse, and we believe we have the opportunity to make a real impact in this community.”
The following services are available to survivors, at no cost:
All services are available regardless of immigration status or whether a survivor reports their assault or abuse to law enforcement. Many services are also offered in Spanish.
Nearly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the U.S. have been raped at some time in their lives[i]. Rape is one of the most under-reported crimes, with nearly two-thirds of rapes never reported, and only 12 percent of child sexual abuse reported to authorities[ii].
The new office location is made possible by funding from The Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Foundation, the Cuyahoga County Department of Public Safety and Justice, and others.
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About Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
The mission of Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is to support survivors of rape and sexual abuse, promote healing and prevention, and advocate for social change. In 2019, the Center provided counseling, advocacy and crisis intervention services to 10,000 rape and sexual abuse survivors and reached 50,000 people through its prevention, education and training programs in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake counties. For more information, visit clevelandrapecrisis.org or call 216-619-6194. The Center’s 24-hour Crisis & Support Hotline is 216-619-6192 (call/text) or clevelandrapecrisis.org/chat.
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center today announced plans to open up a drop-in center in Glenville, a neighborhood located on the east side of Cleveland. The drop-in center, slated to open in early 2021, is designed to fill a gap in services for survivors of human trafficking.
Human trafficking is the second-largest criminal industry in the world, with more than $30 billion generated by the movement and trade of human beings. This facility will help address the two most common types of human trafficking – sex and labor.
The drop-in center will provide intensive onsite services to victims of human trafficking through the following programming:
As a result of the trauma caused by traffickers, victims often face extraordinary barriers to access basic care.
“This drop-in center will provide a safe haven for human trafficking survivors, both youths and adults,” said Sondra Miller, president & CEO of Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. “Whether someone just needs to talk or wants to learn about victim advocacy services, the drop-in center will be available, at no cost, to the survivor. Regardless of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, income, ability, immigration status or religion, we’re here for you.”
The drop-in center is generously supported by a mix of private and public funding, including the Billie Howland Steffee Family Fund and the Office of Victims of Crime.
Ohio has ranked as high as fifth in the nation among all states in total reported human trafficking cases. Cleveland Rape Crisis Center operates the 24/7 Human Trafficking hotline in Northeast Ohio and is a lead service provider. Over the past four years, the Center has answered 767 hotline calls and provided crisis intervention, counseling and justice system advocacy to 1,248 people.
# # #
About Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
The mission of Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is to support survivors of rape and sexual abuse, promote healing and prevention, and advocate for social change. In 2019, the Center provided counseling, advocacy and crisis intervention services to 10,000 rape and sexual abuse survivors and reached 50,000 people through its prevention, education and training programs in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake counties. For more information, visit clevelandrapecrisis.org or call 216-619-6194. The Center’s 24-hour Crisis & Support Hotline is 216-619-6192 (call/text) or clevelandrapecrisis.org/chat.
Media Contact:
Nicolle Huffman
nicolleh@clevelandrcc.org
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Calls to a 24-hour hotline for human trafficking survivors at the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center are down 50-percent for the first half of 2020 after years of climbing.
Advocates believe it’s all tied to the pandemic.
19 Investigates found they fear survivors may not be getting the help they need.
Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world.
Ohio has ranked as high as fifth among all states in total reported human trafficking cases.
“The more people are aware of trafficking, have an understanding, the more individuals are able to be identified,” said Teresa Stafford, Chief Advocacy Officer with the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center.
Have questions or need support?
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is here for survivors of trafficking and anyone looking for support or information. Call the 24-Hour Project STAR Hotline: 855-431-STAR (7827).
