Denim Day is April 22nd!!!
Community Advocates Against Sexual Assault (CAASA) is sponsoring Denim Day! Denim Day is April 22nd and is an international event to raise awareness about the myths surrounding sexual violence.
If you and/or your organization would like to participate in Denim Day, we are providing denim ribbons, free of charge. Of course, donations are happily accepted! Just email or call us with how many ribbons you would like and we can deliver them.
What is Denim Day?
In Italy in 1992 an 18-year old girl was picked up by her married 45-year old driving instructor for her very first lesson. He took her to an isolated road, pulled her out of the car, wrestled her out of one leg of her jeans and forcefully raped her. Threatened with death if she told anyone he made her drive the car home. Later that night she told her parents and they helped and supported her to press charges. The perpetrator was arrested and prosecuted. He was convicted of rape and sentenced to jail.
It would appear as though the perpetrator received his justice and the victim her day in court. Sadly, the tale does not end there because the rapist appealed his conviction. The case made it all the way to the Italian Supreme Court. Within a matter of days the case against the driving instructor was overturned, the charges were dismissed and the perpetrator was released. In a statement by the Chief Judge he argued “because the victim wore very, very tight jeans she had to help him remove them and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape but consensual sex. Enraged by the verdict, within a matter of hours the women in the Italian Parliament launched into immediate action and protested by wearing jeans to work. This call to action motivated and emboldened the California Senate and Assembly to do the same.” Robinson explained that this action inspired Patricia Giggans , the Executive Director of a rape prevention education campaign named “Peace Over Violence” to launch the first Denim Day in Los Angeles.
If you and/or your organization would like to participate in Denim Day, we are providing denim ribbons, free of charge. Of course, donations are happily accepted! Just email or call us with how many ribbons you would like and we can deliver them.
What is Denim Day?
In Italy in 1992 an 18-year old girl was picked up by her married 45-year old driving instructor for her very first lesson. He took her to an isolated road, pulled her out of the car, wrestled her out of one leg of her jeans and forcefully raped her. Threatened with death if she told anyone he made her drive the car home. Later that night she told her parents and they helped and supported her to press charges. The perpetrator was arrested and prosecuted. He was convicted of rape and sentenced to jail.
It would appear as though the perpetrator received his justice and the victim her day in court. Sadly, the tale does not end there because the rapist appealed his conviction. The case made it all the way to the Italian Supreme Court. Within a matter of days the case against the driving instructor was overturned, the charges were dismissed and the perpetrator was released. In a statement by the Chief Judge he argued “because the victim wore very, very tight jeans she had to help him remove them and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape but consensual sex. Enraged by the verdict, within a matter of hours the women in the Italian Parliament launched into immediate action and protested by wearing jeans to work. This call to action motivated and emboldened the California Senate and Assembly to do the same.” Robinson explained that this action inspired Patricia Giggans , the Executive Director of a rape prevention education campaign named “Peace Over Violence” to launch the first Denim Day in Los Angeles.
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