Hello Washington County Community. Denim Day is April 25th and we are looking for your help in sharing the work we do in supporting victims of sexual
crimes. We want to display a Denim Day Board at your office or at your place of work. These boards are free and will be used to help give information about Denim Day. They are beautifully decorated by Hartford High School students and intended to encourage people to become aware of the need to support victims of sexual crimes.
Denim Day grew out of a 1998 Italian Supreme Court decision that overturned a rape conviction because the victim wore tight jeans. An 18-year old girl is picked up by her married 45-year old driving instructor for her very first lesson. He takes her to an isolated road, pulls her out of the car, wrestles her out of one leg of her jeans and forcefully rapes her. Threatened with death if she tells anyone, he makes her drive the car home. Later that night she tells her parents, and they help and support her to press charges. The perpetrator gets arrested and is prosecuted. He is convicted of rape and sentenced to jail.
He appeals the sentence. The case makes it’s all the way to the Italian Supreme Court. Within a matter of days the case against the driving instructor is overturned, dismissed, and the perpetrator released. In a statement by the Chief Judge, he argued, “because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape but consensual sex.”
Enraged by the verdict, within a matter of hours the women in the Italian Parliament launched into immediate action and protested by wearing jeans to work.
Our goal is to raise enough money to educate the SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) Nurses in our community for the year. Cost is $8000! Every gift given stays local and helps keep the certification and state requirements for all the SANE Nurses current. Their work of supporting victims is our work. Together we impact lives everyday. Help us help others. To receive a Denim Day Board email Deb Holtan at give@mcfhartford.org or call 262-670-7568.