Courtesy of the Rape Crisis Center
Daniele Dreitzer from the Rape Crisis Center accepts smartphones from Marlon Young of Cricket Wireless.
Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017 | 2 a.m.
Cricket Wireless plans to donate 12 smartphones with six months’ worth of service to the Rape Crisis Center in Las Vegas at 1 p.m. today. The aim is to help survivors of sexual assault have communication with police, medical staff, therapists and family in incidents where their phones were either lost or stolen during the assault or seized as evidence during the investigation.
“Unfortunately, these victims tend to be among the most vulnerable members of our society and without communication, their ability to recover immediately and in the long term is compromised. Being able to supply these clients with a working cellphone is a lifeline, as it helps ensure they can continue to connect with services they so desperately need,” Daniele Dreitzer, executive director of the Rape Crisis Center, said in a media release.
The center hopes to serve many more survivors by recycling the phones once they are no longer needed, and welcomes the community to help pay for wireless coverage going forward.
Marlon Young, territory sales manager for Cricket Wireless, said the company is always looking to help the community through such partnerships with nonprofits.
“There are people out there who are victims of assault that need help, and I would just suggest people find ways to connect with the RCC to help in any way possible,” Young said. “I know there are amazing people out there in Las Vegas that really want to help."
According to its website, the Rape Crisis Center has logged 1,950 counseling hours, answered 15,685 hotline calls and seen 747 clients in the hospital this year. Immediate and long-term recovery services are provided free of charge.
"Hopefully, in the aftermath of the #MeToo campaign, and people understanding that this is an experience that many people have shared, there is a lot of help and resources available for people who have experienced some form of sexual violence," Dreitzer said.
Be prepared
The free Circle of 6 app allows you to choose six individuals to reach immediately in situations that may escalate to violence. Key features range from a help message that sends with your GPS location to a phone icon you can tap to send your contacts this message: “Call and pretend you need me. I need an interruption.”
In the aftermath of assault
If you have been sexually assaulted, the Rape Crisis Center recommends having an exam done by a specialized nurse at University Medical Center at 1800 W. Charleston Blvd. The exam is free and will treat any physical injuries you may have sustained during the assault and collect evidence of the crime. (If you can't get the exam immediately, it can still be done three to five days later.)
To preserve the evidence for the exam, refrain from showering or bathing; changing clothes; drinking, eating or chewing gum; smoking; using the restroom or douching. Other items that may hold evidence (discarded clothing, blankets, sheets, etc.) should be put in a paper bag or pillow case and not in plastic.
If you report the crime to the police first, they can take you to UMC.
You don’t need to report the crime to law enforcement to have the exam if you are an adult. However, the nurse is required to report the crime as child abuse to police if you are a minor.
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