Gov. Baldacci recently curtailed $38 million to balance the state budget, including money earmarked by the Legislature for the prevention of sexual and domestic violence initiatives.

Last year the Legislature made a bipartisan commitment to preventing domestic and sexual violence. With one in every five Maine residents having been sexually assaulted, and 50 percent of Maine’s homicides involving domestic violence, the Legislature felt that it was critical to increase resources for the prevention of these crimes.

The governor’s plan has eliminated that funding. As a result, many of the state’s sexual assault support programs will have to eliminate some of their prevention and outreach programs, lay off staff, and reduce outreach efforts. Locally, the Sexual Assault Crisis Center will lose its outreach prevention coordinator, who focused on prevention and intervention with people with mental retardation, the elderly, and other groups.

The cost of sexual assault is staggering. The Children’s Safety Network Data Analysis Resource Center estimates the 2004 comprehensive cost of sexual abuse of Maine children was $138,057,000. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates the tangible cost of one sexual assault is $87,000, and with 80 sexual assaults reported in 2006 to SACC, the cost of those assaults in Androscoggin County is $6,960,000.

The governor’s plan is shortsighted, shifting our work away from desperately needed prevention initiatives. Given the prevalence and costs of sexual assault, the prevention money is crucial to increasing our public safety, and is essential in contributing to a healthy Maine.

Marty McIntyre, executive director

Sexual Assault Crisis Center, Auburn