WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senators Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin today announced more than $150,000 in federal funding for the West Virginia State Department of Health and Human Resources to continue the Rape Prevention and Education program. 

“Making sure West Virginians are safe in their homes and in their communities is so important, and we must do everything possible to reduce sexual violence,” said Rockefeller, cosponsor of the Violence Against Women Act.  “Improving education and building awareness are two smart and effective ways that we can try to reduce the incidence of sexual violence in our state and elsewhere.  The importance of making sure we do everything possible to protect West Virginians from these horrific crimes can’t be overstated, and this award will go a long way to helping achieve that goal.  I will do everything I can to make sure that every West Virginian is safe.”

“There are few crimes more devastating or terrifying than sexual assault and domestic abuse, and victims deserve our help in recovering from the tremendous physical and emotional toll,” said Manchin, a strong supporter of the Violence Against Women Act.  “We need to take the right steps to help those who have been raped, assaulted, stalked or abused. More importantly, we need to work together to educate people in our communities to help prevent such horrifying acts from happening and to make sure all individuals are safe from sexual and domestic violence."

The Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) program awards grants to states to strengthen sexual violence prevention efforts by implementing and evaluating prevention programs in rape crisis centers, sexual assault coalitions, state departments of health, and other nonprofit organizations. RPE is funded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. 

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