Alaska Natives break long silence on abuse

Tuesday, January 22, 2008  

Alaska Natives in the western part of the state are coming forward in hopes of breaking the cycle of abuse.

According to the data from the Alaska State Troopers, western Alaska has the highest number of sexual abuse cases involving minors and sexual assaults against women. Of 989 sexual assault cases in 2003 and 2004, 48 percent came from this part of the state, which is home to dozens of small Native villages.

"We have an epidemic," Katie TePas, a troopers program coordinator, told The Tundra Drums.

In the 989 cases, 90 percent involved abuse of family members, TePas said. Almost one-fourth of the child victims were from ages 13 to 15 and nearly the same number were from ages 6 to 12.

Elena Aluskak, a forensic interviewer in Bethel, said she has interviewed more than 700 children in the past five years alone.

Get the Story:
Slowly, Western Alaska starts to break silence on sexual abuse (The Tundra Drums 1/22)

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