girls sexual

welcome to "indiana newsdesk." the indiana coalition against the indiana coalition against sexual assault hasn't been sexual assault hasn't been operating for months, and operating for months, and advocates worry that means those advocates worry that means thosedealing with sexual assault

girls sexual, dealing with sexual assault aren't getting the help they aren't getting the help they need. need. incasa shut down in june after incasa shut down in june after it was unable to pay overdue

it was unable to pay overdue taxes dating back to 2012. taxes dating back to 2012. the coalition has a court the coalition has a court appointed receiver who will appointed receiver who will attempt to restructure its attempt to restructure its finances. finances. what does that mean for sexual what does that mean for sexual assault survivors in the assault survivors in the meantime? meantime? >> kristen pulice sat in front

>> kristen pulice sat in front of her computer thinking. of her computer thinking. >> i was shocked. >> i was shocked. i thought it was a travesty. i thought it was a travesty. >> shock from losing her job >> shock from losing her job over the summer hasn't worn off. over the summer hasn't worn off.that's when incasa suspended that's when incasa suspended operations and laid off all operations and laid off all staff. staff. now the only access that the

now the only access that the public has to the coalition is public has to the coalition is through its website. through its website. it features only an announcement it features only an announcementabout the organization's about the organization's closure, and a place to donate closure, and a place to donate money to help with the financial money to help with the financialshortfall. shortfall. pulice can't stop thinking about pulice can't stop thinking aboutwhat that could mean for sexual

what that could mean for sexual assault survivors. assault survivors. >> my fear is that if we are not >> my fear is that if we are notable to bring it back, that the able to bring it back, that the voice of sexual assault will voice of sexual assault will once again be just a whisper. once again be just a whisper. it has always been a quiet voice it has always been a quiet voicebehind larger issues such as behind larger issues such as domestic violence and we need to domestic violence and we need tohave a strong voice for sexual

have a strong voice for sexual assault here in the state of assault here in the state of indiana. indiana. >> according to the centers for >> according to the centers for disease control, indiana is the disease control, indiana is the second worst state for rape, second worst state for rape, among high school aged girls. among high school aged girls. incasa provided training to incasa provided training to service providers and law service providers and law enforcement that showed them how

enforcement that showed them howto respond to sexual assaults. to respond to sexual assaults. it connected survivors like it connected survivors like malia crosby with resources to malia crosby with resources to help them heal. help them heal. >> it was so instrumental in my >> it was so instrumental in my own healing journey that it was own healing journey that it was almost like grieving a loss for almost like grieving a loss for something to be gone. something to be gone. it's just -- it's detrimental to

it's just -- it's detrimental tosurvivors. survivors. you know where do we turn for you know where do we turn for services? services? i think there's a big gap in i think there's a big gap in what's available for us. what's available for us. >> crosby says without incasa, >> crosby says without incasa, there's no statewide, one-stop there's no statewide, one-stop shop for survivors to turn to in shop for survivors to turn to inthe event of a crisis.

the event of a crisis. some counties are trying to pick some counties are trying to pickup that slack, but she says it's up that slack, but she says it'snot as effective. not as effective. >> vigo county is handled >> vigo county is handled through the domestic violence through the domestic violence shelter but people don't know to shelter but people don't know toturn there. turn there. >> the closing of incasa also >> the closing of incasa also has service providers like

has service providers like legacy house worried. legacy house worried. >> this is our group room. >> this is our group room. >> the counseling agency works >> the counseling agency works with children and adults. with children and adults. helping them to cope with trauma helping them to cope with traumathrough therapy and art. through therapy and art. >> and our wishes for peace in >> and our wishes for peace in his life and relief from the his life and relief from the anxiety so he can sit and just

anxiety so he can sit and just be like the peaceful tree he be like the peaceful tree he created on this canvas. created on this canvas. >> legacy house works with >> legacy house works with survivors of violence and sexual survivors of violence and sexualassault. assault. the executive director michael the executive director michael hurst says it's important not to hurst says it's important not tolump those issues together. lump those issues together. >> domestic violence is family

>> domestic violence is family violence, and yes, it violence, and yes, it involves -- it typically involves -- it typically involved gender against the involved gender against the other jenner. other jenner. but sexual response has other but sexual response has other issues. issues. the response from the treatment the response from the treatment stand point is much different stand point is much different than the responses when you are

than the responses when you are working with somebody who has working with somebody who has been engaged in some -- been been engaged in some -- been involved of chronic, domestic involved of chronic, domestic abuse over the course of a long abuse over the course of a long period of time. period of time. >> hurst worries the absence of >> hurst worries the absence of incasa will be especially incasa will be especially noticeable during the upcoming noticeable during the upcoming legislative session.

legislative session. the coalition spent much of its the coalition spent much of its time on the third level of the time on the third level of the state house advocating for bills state house advocating for billsthat gave sexual assault that gave sexual assault survivors more power and survivors more power and protection. protection. >> i'm reading what the >> i'm reading what the different legislators are different legislators are thinking about doing and working

thinking about doing and workingwith them as best as i can to with them as best as i can to help inform what they are doing, help inform what they are doing,but, again, we are a service but, again, we are a service provider and so it's very provider and so it's very difficult to stay focused on the difficult to stay focused on thepolicy development when you are policy development when you are in the process of serving 1200 in the process of serving 1200 unduplicated clients over the unduplicated clients over the course of the year.

course of the year. >> state representative kristina >> state representative kristinahale says she's committed to hale says she's committed to leading the fight against sexual leading the fight against sexualassault in the state house. assault in the state house. she plans to file several bills she plans to file several bills during the upcoming session, during the upcoming session, relating to the statute of relating to the statute of limitations and sentencing limitations and sentencing guidelines for rape, but sexual

guidelines for rape, but sexual assault is just one of many assault is just one of many issues she has to tackle. issues she has to tackle. >> i think not having a >> i think not having a respected advocate in the state respected advocate in the state house, you know, that's not house, you know, that's not politicized, that's really just politicized, that's really just about doing good things for about doing good things for people, and victims here in people, and victims here in indiana, that voice is going to

indiana, that voice is going to be missing. be missing. i'm not certain that funding i'm not certain that funding will necessarily be affected will necessarily be affected negatively. negatively. where the funding goes and how where the funding goes and how it gets spent could be affected it gets spent could be affected and that could have implications and that could have implicationsfor services. for services. >> most of incasa's funding

>> most of incasa's funding comes from a federal rape comes from a federal rape prevention and education grant. prevention and education grant. two other groups, and the two other groups, and the indiana campus sexual assault indiana campus sexual assault primary prevention project also primary prevention project also receive a portion of that money. receive a portion of that money.hale says in order for the state hale says in order for the stateto dedicate the resources to dedicate the resources necessary to fight sexual

necessary to fight sexual assault, incasa needs to reopen assault, incasa needs to reopen or a new not for profit needs to or a new not for profit needs tobe created to fill that role. be created to fill that role. that's exactly what pulice has that's exactly what pulice has been thinking. been thinking. even after losing her job, she even after losing her job, she remains hopeful because she says remains hopeful because she saysthe fight against sexual assault the fight against sexual assaultis far too important for incasa

is far too important for incasa to be dissolved. to be dissolved. >> incasa's doors are closed but >> incasa's doors are closed butthe entity still exists and the entity still exists and there's a lot of people that there's a lot of people that want it to stay. want it to stay. >> there is no timeline for >> there is no timeline for incasa's possible recovery. incasa's possible recovery. that's up to the court and the that's up to the court and the appointed receiver.

appointed receiver. reporter barbara harrington reporter barbara harrington joins us now to talk about what joins us now to talk about what we can expect in the coming we can expect in the coming months. months. so how bad is incasa's financial so how bad is incasa's financialsituation? situation? >> well, joe, that's exactly >> well, joe, that's exactly what the court appointed what the court appointed receiver is tasked with trying

receiver is tasked with trying to figure out. to figure out. her name is debra daniels. her name is debra daniels. she's combing through incasa's she's combing through incasa's finances to see if they can finances to see if they can reopen. reopen. we heard that there's a lot of we heard that there's a lot of support to get this organization support to get this organizationback up and running. back up and running. >> we heard in the story

>> we heard in the story representative hale will fire representative hale will fire several bills regarding -- file several bills regarding -- file several bills regarding sexual several bills regarding sexual assault. assault. what she hopes to change? what she hopes to change? >> she has an extensive list of >> she has an extensive list of things she hopes to accomplish things she hopes to accomplish this legislative session. this legislative session. the first one, her first

the first one, her first priority, is coming up with a priority, is coming up with a definition for consent. definition for consent. that's something state of that's something state of indiana doesn't have right now, indiana doesn't have right now, and she says it's really and she says it's really essential to have that essential to have that definition. definition. it will help in prosecuting rape it will help in prosecuting rapeand sexual assault cases.

and sexual assault cases. hale also wants to break down hale also wants to break down barriers that could possibly barriers that could possibly prevent people from reporting prevent people from reporting instances of sexual assault. instances of sexual assault. so she's introducing a bill that so she's introducing a bill thatwill allow those 18 and older will allow those 18 and older who are still on their parent's who are still on their parent's insurance plans, when they insurance plans, when they receive treatment for sexual

receive treatment for sexual assault, the explanation of assault, the explanation of benefits will go to that benefits will go to that 18-year-old, that young adult, 18-year-old, that young adult, instead of their parents. instead of their parents. right now, the explanation of right now, the explanation of benefits goes to their parents benefits goes to their parents which could cue them in that a which could cue them in that a sexual assault has taken place. sexual assault has taken place. >> i assume that would deter a

>> i assume that would deter a lot of people, because kids lot of people, because kids don't want to tell their parents don't want to tell their parentsabout that. about that. it's hard. it's hard. >> exactly. >> exactly. well, you know, a lot of these well, you know, a lot of these instances go unreported and a instances go unreported and a lot of kids done want their lot of kids done want their parents to know about this.

parents to know about this. now, hale is also working on two now, hale is also working on twoother measures that deal with other measures that deal with prosecution. prosecution. the first deals with the the first deals with the criminal code. criminal code. if you remember last year, if you remember last year, legislators made some changes. legislators made some changes. one of those that dealt with the one of those that dealt with thesentencing guidelines for rape.

sentencing guidelines for rape. it dropped from six years down it dropped from six years down to three years, hale wants to to three years, hale wants to change that back. change that back. she wants it to be six years. she wants it to be six years. she also wants to increase the she also wants to increase the statute of limitations for statute of limitations for prosecuting rape from 10 to 15 prosecuting rape from 10 to 15 years. years. so a lot on her plate.

so a lot on her plate. >> and just really short, does

>> and just really short, does she think she has the support of she think she has the support ofher other legislators. her other legislators. >> she says she thinks she has >> she says she thinks she has support o