Survivors of sexual violence and community leaders will gather at City Hall on Wednesday to celebrate Denim Day in Los Angeles, an annual event inspired by an appeals court ruling in Italy more than two decades ago. .
Denim Day campaigns are held annually in April to raise awareness of sexual violence and support victims of sexual assault. People are encouraged to wear jeans or other denim clothing.
Events in Los Angeles will begin with a press conference at 9 a.m. on the south steps of City Hall. The meeting will include remarks from Patti Giggans, founder of Denim Day and executive director of Peace Over Violence. The Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence is based in Los Angeles.
It is estimated that one in 10 minors will be sexually abused before reaching the age of 18.
Los Angeles City Council members Mónica Rodríguez, Katy Yaroslavsky, Nithya Raman, Eunisses Hernández, Heather Hutt, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón, former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and the Consulate General of Mexico Juan Carlos Rodríguez Muñoz are expected.
What is Denim Day and how did it start?
Denim Day stems from a 1990s Italian Supreme Court verdict that sparked international outrage.
In 1992, an 18-year-old girl was raped by a driving instructor during her first lesson on a lonely stretch of freeway, according to a February 12, 1999, Los Angeles Times report.
Judges overturned a rapist’s conviction, arguing that because the victim was wearing tight jeans, she should have helped her attacker remove them, implying her consent.
“It is common knowledge…that jeans cannot be removed even partially without the effective assistance of the wearer…and that is impossible if the victim struggles with all his might,” the judges ruled, according to the court. Time report.
Through a short film, a group of young people from the Los Angeles area want to raise public awareness of sexual assault and its consequences.
The protests that followed this verdict have become an international movement to raise awareness and support victims of rape and sexual violence. Members of the Italian Parliament wore jeans in protest.
The first Denim Day in Los Angeles took place in April 1999. Since then, it has continued every year.
Resources in Los Angeles County
In the Los Angeles area, Peace Over Violence provides hotlines for victims of sexual violence.
The telephone hotlines offer assistance, information, guidance and defense services for victims 24 hours a day.
- Downtown Los Angeles: 213-626-3393
- south los angeles: 310-392-8381
- West Valley of Sainte-Gabriel: 626-793-3385
more resources
- Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN): 800-656-HOPE (4673)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE (7233)
This story first appeared on Telemundo 52’s sister station NBCLA. Click on here to read this story in English.