Ohio lawmakers added a record-breaking $30 million for crisis rape centers in the state budget for 2024 and 2025, which was officially enacted on Wednesday.
“Sexual violence is a bipartisan issue,” said Rosa Beltre, CEO of the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence. “[N]o one is exempt, and we are grateful our lawmakers understood that.”
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The budget signed by Gov Mike DeWine (R) on Wednesday appropriates $15 million annually to centers across all 88 counties that provide survivor services, including physical and mental support and treatment.
Government funding for sexual and domestic violence advocacy groups in Ohio was cut in 2020 when the state’s share of federal Victims of Crime Act money was decreased by more than $20 million, or nearly 40% of the biggest source of revenue for local community operations.
Ohio has historically contributed less money than other states to special victims’ advocacy organizations. This line item in the budget makes a 105% increase from the estimated $7.3 million to be spent in 2023.
Sexual violence in Ohio has come into the spotlight in recent years, most notably because of the case of the 10-year-old girl who was taken across state lines to obtain an abortion in Indiana.
In 2021, Ohio’s Children Advocacy Centers reported handling 8,890 cases of abuse of minors, 76% of which were instances of sexual abuse. The Ohio Department of Health reported in 2020 that 52 girls under the age of 15 had sought an abortion, which some use as an indicator of child sexual abuse.
Ohio’s sexual assault rate, in general, is also higher than the national average. For 2019, the FBI Unified Crime Report estimated that 43.6 forcible rapes per 100,000 compared to Ohio’s 50.1 per 100,000.
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“Advocates in local programs show up every day to support survivors in our local communities,” said Emily Gemar, Director of Public Policy at OAESV, who has been on the front lines of advocating for increased state funding.
“Their advocacy helps to keep our communities safe, but they can’t do it all — especially without the funding to keep centers staffed to meet the rising need. These funds will assist our programs in maintaining essential services at a time when people need it most.”
