Fairbanks Community Confronts Alarming Sexual Assault Crisis in Annual April Event
Fairbanks, Alaska — Today, the Fairbanks community gathered at the Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center for a powerful event marking Sexual Assault Awareness Month, underscoring the state’s ongoing battle against a staggering surge in sexual violence. The event spotlighted alarming statistics confirming Alaska’s sexual assault rate is three times the national average, drawing urgent attention to the need for coordinated action.
Officials from Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s office delivered a formal proclamation commemorating the 25th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, emphasizing April 2026 as a critical time to amplify survivor voices and reinforce public safety efforts statewide. Cheryl Markwood, regional director for the governor’s office, read Dunleavy’s remarks highlighting the devastating effects of sexual assault on all Alaskan communities.
Statewide Response Teams Debut Model Collaboration to Support Survivors
Erin Morotti, Executive Director of the Interior Alaska Center for Non-Violent Living (IAC), praised the Interior Alaska Sexual Assault Response Multidisciplinary Team (SART) as a vital network of eight entities including the Alaska State Troopers, local police departments from Fairbanks and North Pole, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Police, and the State of Alaska District Attorney’s Office.
“In someone’s worst moment, they are met … not just by a single doorway, but by a circle of care,” Morotti said. “Each of you is a part of a coordinated response that ensures that no survivor has to navigate this alone, and that really matters because healing, like nature, does not happen in isolation.”
Jessica Stossel of the Alaska State Troopers delivered a sobering reminder of the crisis’s scale. She called sexual assault “an assault on trust, dignity and identity,” underscoring how these crimes undermine community safety and foster fear and distrust.
Jeremy Rupe of the state troopers emphasized SART’s national recognition as a model program developed since 1997 to improve survivor support and legal outcomes. “Forensic nurses ensure evidence is collected promptly within critical early hours,” Rupe explained, “which strengthens prosecutions and increases reporting rates.”
Victims Mostly Juveniles as Alaska Redoubles Prevention Efforts
The governor’s proclamation highlighted a disturbing fact: over 50 percent of sexual assault reports in 2024 involved juveniles, a stark indicator of the vulnerability in Alaska’s youth population.
“Every Alaskan deserves to live free of harm and without fear of sexual assault or abuse,” the proclamation stated. “No one has the right to force, threaten, coerce, or manipulate anyone into a sexual activity.” In line with this, the state affirmed its ongoing commitment to prevention and survivor advocacy.
Attendees shared a meal and solidarity, concluding with a group photo symbolizing unity in the fight against sexual violence.
Resources for Victims and Survivors
Alaskans seeking help are urged to contact Standing Together Against Rape (STAR) through their website or the statewide crisis hotline at 1-800-478-8999. Additional statewide resources are available online.
Sexual assault remains a national crisis with Alaska’s rate three times higher than anywhere else in the country, signaling the urgent need for strengthened community and institutional support everywhere, including regions like North Carolina that reflect on these challenges in their own populations.
