SAVE initiative meets needs in Nodaway County

Alanna wolf Staff Writer
Maryville Public Safety Officer Sarah Kahmann explains procedures involved with investigating a sexual assault in her recent presentation at the Maryville Community Center.

Maryville Public Safety Officer Sarah Kahmann and Victim Advocate Meghann Kosman have created a presentation intended to educate Nodaway County residents about sexual assault.

The two women said they co-founded the SAVE initiative after realizing there was a significant need for such a program in Nodaway County.

Kahmann and Kosman gave their program last Thursday night at the Maryville Community Center.

The presentation involved the explanation of how a sexual assault investigation works and what a victim’s advocate does for victims. It also stressed the importance of reporting any sexual assault and seeking medical attention after an assault.

The speakers outlined what acts are considered as sexual assaults and explained Missouri laws concerning sexual assault and consent, stressing the importance of consent’s being given in any sexual relationship.

If consent is not given, or someone is unable to consent for any reason, a sexual encounter should not happen, they said.

The pair also discussed victim shaming, explaining that it is never called for, and emphasized that sexual assault is never the fault of the victim.

The SAVE initiative is an innovative sexual assault education presentation suitable for all ages and genders. Instead of teaching female audiences practices to avoid rape, the initiative teaches the more widely applicable message, “do not rape.”