San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Thursday signed legislation creating a new office that will hold city departments accountable for their handling of sexual assault cases.
The Office of Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) will assist victims who file complaints against city departments that have turned them away, sometimes due to insufficient evidence.
San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen introduced the legislation earlier this year in an effort to battle sexual assault and sexual harassment across the city.
Currently, victims file reports with the respective city offices they feel will best handle their case. But many who have already struggled with coming forward say it has been difficult to navigate the different departments and to also have them follow through with their case.
"Many women who were coming forward were getting brushed off, disrespected and not believed," Ronen said. "We want to let them know that we are taking this seriously and supporting women in getting justice and helping them move forward."