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Blumenthal was honored at the recent annual public policy breakfast for the The Center, which offers help to anyone suffering from domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse living in Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull.
In his remarks, Blumenthal explained new legislation he is backing would not only treat campus assaults as a crime but would also put in place counseling “to help the victim deal with the assault.”
“The days of blaming the victim are over,” Blumenthal said to boisterous applause. “Nobody is going to blame her for what she wore, who she was with, how much she drank or where she went. The crime of sexual assault is a crime and we should all be taking a stand against it. At home. On our college campuses. In the military.”
The legislation has strong bipartisan support, he said, thanking the Connecticut colleges who welcomed him as he conducted forums on the subject on campuses.
“He has conducted 15 roundtables about sexual assault on our state’s college campuses, sessions that opened the dialogue about sexual assault and gave students, advocates and law enforcement a chance to be heard,” said Debra Greenwood, president and CEO of The Center.
Cathy Malloy, First Lady of Connecticut as well as an advocate for social justice, also attended the breakfast. “The center here is the first in the state but more importantly it is a model," Malloy said. "There will soon be centers like this throughout Connecticut."
Mayor Bill Finch of Bridgeport also praised the work of the Center.
“We all have family members who have been touched by this public health disease, and I firmly believe that The Center for Family Justice will help break the cycle of domestic violence in our area," he said.
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