- The US National Sex Assault Hotline say they got 147 percent more calls on the day of the Brett Kavanaugh hearing.
- The hotline also got a spike in calls when the “Access Hollywood” tape emerged of President Donald Trump saying he could “grab ’em [women] by the p—-,” in 2016.
- Kavanaugh, a Supreme Court nominee, was in front of the Senate Judiciary Committe on Thursday testifying against claims he sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford in High School.
- Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick also accuse Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct in high school and college.
The US National Sexual Assault Hotline says it received a record number of calls on Thursday — the same day as Brett Kavanaugh testified before the Senate Judiciary Committe defending himself against sexual assault allegations.
The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) runs the 24/7 hotline and said on their official Twitter page on Thursday they had 147 percent more calls than on a normal weekday.
RAINN told Time on Thursday that since Ford came forward with her allegations, they have also seen a 46 percent increase in calls compared to the same time period last year.
Kavanaugh is accused sexually assaulting Christine Blasey Ford 36 years ago, and defended himself in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. Ford also gave testimony and said she was 100 percent sure he sexually assaulted her.
Ford shared harrowing details of her experience, recalling the “uproarious laughter” of her attackers and describing it as having been burned in her memory.
At least two other women have accused Kavanaugh of sexual impropriety — Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick.
Read a full and in-depth report of Thursday’s hearing here.
This is not the first time that public accusations of sexual assault have motivated victims to come forward.
In October 2016, when the “Access Hollywood” tape of President Donald Trump saying he could get women and “grab ’em by the p—-” was released, calls to the same sexual assault hotline went up 33 percent, Time Magazine reported.
Anyone looking talk about sexual assault can visit RAINN’s online hotline or call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673.
Originally published on www.businessinsider.com
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