Take Back the Night in Houghton

It’s one of the most common and most under reported crimes in the community.

That’s how Houghton County Sheriff’s Department Det. Sgt. Tom Rosemurgy described sexual violence at the Take Back The Night event in Houghton.

Dial Help partnered with Michigan Tech to host the event during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

A panel of experts discussed how to get help when you or someone you know has become a victim of a sex crime.

Here are some important facts that came out in the discussion:

Sexual predators are usually not nameless stalkers; they’re often someone that the victim knows who has specifically targeted that victim.

When someone tells you they have been sexually assaulted…believe them!

An overwhelming majority of the time, they are telling the truth.

Be sure to report all cases of sexual violence, even if it happened many years ago.

A perpetrator can still be prosecuted in many cases of sexual assault, regardless of how much time has passed.

After the meeting, the group took to the streets in Houghton to take back the night.

Posted by: Mike Hoey