Title
Authorizing the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings examining the City's response to sexual violence, including support for survivors, law enforcement's response, the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault, and prevention, in light of recent sexual assault cases in Philadelphia and reopened investigations of school campus sexual assault elsewhere.
WHEREAS, Sexual violence is a term that encompasses a variety of acts that range from verbal harassment, or sexual harassment, to forced sexual intercourse, including rape and sexual assault, and multiple types of coercion, like social pressure, intimidation and physical force; and
WHEREAS, Sexual assault is a violent and heinous criminal action, in which a perpetrator abuses their power by violating a victim’s bodily freedom, and safety; and
WHEREAS, Sexual assault is an umbrella term used to describe a variety of abhorrent behaviors, like rape, sodomy, touching an intimate body part clothed or unclothed, including when a victim lacks the ability to consent; and
WHEREAS, While
sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes, with estimates of only 20 to 25% of rapes
resulting in a police report,
a national study estimates 443,634 rapes and sexual assaults occur among victims age 12 or older, and at least 56,575 children are sexually abused every year in the United States
, highlighting the prevalence, frequency and discreet nature of this violent crime; and
WHEREAS,
45.1% of women, which is nearly half, in the United States experienced some type of sexual violence in their lifetimes,
and
women are two to three times more likely than men to experience sexual violence globally
, however men can experience and be victims to sexual violence
given 1 in 6 men or 16.9% have experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetimes
; and
WHEREAS, Marginalized and underserved communities are disproportionately impacted by sexual violence with nearly
1 in 5 Black and Brown women being survivors of rape
, and
48% of LGBTQ+ individuals experienced their first rape between ages of 11 and 17
; and
WHEREAS,
According to Philadelphia Police Department crime data statistics, as of October 6, 2026, there were 463 rapes reported,
which is a 1% decrease from 2025, and underscores the importance of law enforcement’s response to sexual assault related crimes; and
WHEREAS, Identifying and preventing gender bias in police practices is a critical aspect to addressing sexual assault crimes because police frequently have initial contact with victims and gender bias can result in misclassifying and underreporting sexual assault; and
WHEREAS, During the last three decades, several police departments in cities like Baltimore, New Orleans, Philadelphia and St. Louis have been exposed for substantially undercounting and reclassifying reported rapes; and
WHEREAS, The history of law enforcement agencies misclassifying rape and other sex crimes is documented in a 1990
Philadelphia Inquirer
article which revealed the 20-year long history of the Philadelphia Police Department downgrading rape cases to a noncriminal category; and
WHEREAS,
Police reclassification of rape complaints diminishes the probability that perpetrators will be arrested, prosecuted and convicted
and fails to prevent potential future offenses. An incident that occurred early this year in our City, in
which six men sexually assaulted several women at a spa highlights the prevalence of sexual assault in
Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Gun violence is a pervasive public safety challenge in our City, and intersections between gun violence and sexual assault must be analyzed to protect residents.
Data shows the coercive nature of guns can facilitate sexual assault and is the weapon most frequently used in rape victimizations;
and
WHEREAS, The
recent local investigation of Raymond Horsch, who police suspect to be connected to the cases of several missing women
, demonstrates how law enforcement’s response to gender-based violence and sexual assault is crucial to protecting Philadelphia residents; and
WHEREAS,
Despite the term sexual harassment being coined at Cornell University in 1975
, a recent reopening of a
criminal investigation of an alleged 2024 rape incident involving seven Cornell students from the Chi Phi fraternity’s Xi chapter
emphasizes the importance for succinct collegiate sexual assault investigation and adjudication policies; and
WHEREAS, A recent
opening of a criminal investigation regarding an alleged rape incident that occurred at the Louisiana State University, and was allegedly perpetrated by a student athlete
exposed complications between a university’s Title IX process and the criminal justice system
underscores the need for a coordinated system between institutions, their Title IX policies and law enforcement to protect victims; and
WHEREAS, In Philadelphia, we must stand with victims, stand against perpetrators of sexual assault and have a clear comprehensive response to address this violent crime, because there is no room for sexual predators in our City; now therefore,
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby authorizes the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings to investigate the City’s response to sexual assault and condemns the violent crime of sexual assault in Philadelphia.
End