Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine discussed a need for rape survivor advocacy programs during a visit to Ohio University Thursday morning.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine discussed a need for rape survivor advocacy programs during a visit to Ohio University Thursday morning.
DeWine highlighted the university's Survivor Outreach Advocacy Program, a year-old service assisting victims of sexual assault run out of OU's Women's Center.
The program is funded by a $60,000 a year grant from DeWine's office and lasts for three years. Funding started flowing last August. The program is run out of OU and serves victims in Meigs, Perry and Athens counties.
Since October of last year, 27 individuals from the three county service area have been helped as part of the outreach program, said Shari J. Clarke, vice provost for Diversity and Inclusion. The program is run by Kat Wargo, who helps victims and travels the three county area making law enforcement officials and others aware of her services.
Wargo was not at the event in the Women's Center at Baker University Center Thursday morning.
"We think we're at our best when we're working with our neighbors in surrounding counties," said Roderick McDavis, OU's president. He thanked DeWine for his support of the program, adding it helps to fulfill OU's mission of outreach and helping victims.
The outreach program — run solely off-campus — is separate from the university's Survivor Advocacy Program for students. That is funded by a federal grant under the Violence Against Women Act.
Though officials did not have details on the on-campus program, they said it has been in existence "for years." Clarke said it is "extraordinarily utilized."
About a year ago, the Attorney General's office surveyed each of Ohio's 88 counties to see where their might be gaps in survivor advocacy programs, DeWine said.
"Every county had some coverage but as we got into it, we saw that the coverage was poor ... particularly in the area of sexual assault," he said. "We decided to see if counties that had more established programs, like Athens county, could reach out to other counties."
