April 12, 2021
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Trenton Police Director Sheilah A. Coley announced that officers and civilian employees with the Trenton Police Department are being invited to wear denim jeans on April 28, 2021, in support of Womanspace Inc. and its observance of Denim Day to increase awareness of sexual violence.
Denim Day was born out of a 1998 Italian Supreme Court decision that overturned a rape conviction of an 18-year-old student, finding that the denim jeans she was wearing were so tight that she would have had to help take them off, implying consent. The decision sparked international outrage, and as a result, wearing jeans has become a symbol of awareness that what someone wears is never an excuse for rape or sexual assault.
Trenton Police Department employees who plan to wear jeans on April 28 have been asked to explain the significance of the choice to anyone who asks about it.
As annual supporters of Denim Day and lifetime supporters of Womanspace Inc., the Trenton Police Department aims to change attitudes toward sexual assault, including corrections to common misconceptions about rape, such as “Women ask to be raped because of the way they dress or act.” A life free from sexual violence is a basic human right that should be accorded to all members of our society.
We ask that the community participate alongside of us and share their support on social media using hashtag #DenimDay.
Anyone suffering from sexual violence can contact the Trenton Police Department at 609-989-4000, also WomanSpace has a 24/7 crisis line (609) 394-9000.
More information about Womanspace can be found at www.womanspace.org
