The Story County Sexual Assault Response Team is sponsoring a mock trial today to raise awareness of sexual assault.

Sexual assault is an important issue for both men and women. One out of every three women will be sexually assaulted at some point in her life, according to the National Victim Center and Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center.

The center also reports that forcible rape of women over the age of 18 occurs in the United States at a rate of 1.3 per minute, 78 per hour and 683,000 per year.

For a woman, raising awareness and trying to prevent sexual assault may one day save her from assault. For men, the chances are high that someday a mother, sister, relative or friend will be sexually assaulted. This is an issue that should concern all people, male or female.

The SART mock trial is also a great way to become informed about how a rape trial works. Rape trials are not usually publicized or televised, so it’s difficult to know what goes on in one without being involved in it.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, only 16 percent of rapes are ever reported to law enforcement.

There is a stigma surrounding rape and sexual assault that often leads women or men to keep quiet about assaults.

Oftentimes, it is the victim who ends up on trial instead of the perpetrator.

By working together with groups like SART and the 33 Percent group, students can help wipe out the stigma about sexual assault.

Only in this way will victims begin to report more sexual assaults so the criminals can be brought to justice.

editorialboard: Carrie Tett, Jocelyn Marcus, Katie Goldsmith, Andrea Hauser and Tim Paluch