Massachusetts Service Safety Net Being Dismantled at a Moment of Global Crisis for Survivors
Issued by:
Trigger Warning This statement includes descriptions of sexual violence.
On the same day that staff at local domestic violence and sexual assault programs across Massachusetts were learning that their funding was being cut by 25% to 40%, a CNN investigation exposed the “Rape Academy,” an online subculture dedicated to the systematic education of men on how to use substances to facilitate sexual assault. Earlier in the week, two members of Congress resigned due to sexual assault allegations. Extensive media coverage has illuminated the extent of sexual violence, but it has not led to necessary change.
In fact, a major funding source designed to support survivors in Massachusetts is being decimated because of actions of the federal government. The Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance (MOVA), which receives funding through the Federal Victims of Crime Act, has recently informed our community of domestic violence (DV) and sexual violence (SV) agencies of drastic cuts to federal funding for the upcoming fiscal year, starting July 1, 2026.
The impact of federal cuts is devastating:
- Personnel Reductions: Because 70–80% of our budgets are dedicated to the advocates, counselors, and nurse examiners who do this work, a 30% cut is, by definition, a cut to people. We are facing a mass exodus of the very experts trained to help survivors navigate trauma.
- Hospital Programs at Risk: DV/SV programs within hospitals, often the first and only point of contact for a victim in the immediate aftermath of an assault, are facing unprecedented instability.
- A Growing Gap: These funding cuts make it harder for survivors to find a safe bed, a legal advocate, or a therapist at a time when threats are becoming more sophisticated.
The Context: A Global Crisis for Survivors
The urgency of this funding crisis is underscored by recent news. The article reported that, “the website, which had around 62 million visits in February alone and whose core audience is in the United States” which is just shy of the entire population of the United Kingdom. The CNN report is a chilling reminder that the threats facing survivors are not only persistent but are evolving in complexity, utilizing digital platforms to recruit and train perpetrators to “get better” at committing sexual assault.
While technology makes it easier for abusers to coordinate and cause harm, the loss of federal funding makes it harder for the Commonwealth to protect its residents.
“The CNN report shows us the terrifying scale of the violence survivors are up against,” says Liz Speakman, Executive Director at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC). “The Federal Government’s decision to gut the budgets of the agencies that pick up the pieces is more than a policy failure; it is a betrayal of public safety. We cannot tell survivors to ‘speak out’ if we are simultaneously cutting staffing at clinics, crisis centers, and shelters they need when they do.”
A Call to Action
The “Rape Academy” story proves that sexual violence is an organized, escalating threat. Our response must be equally organized. We are calling on the Massachusetts’ House of Representatives and Senate to pass the Trust Line for the FY27 budget.
We cannot allow federal volatility or complacency to dictate the safety of Massachusetts residents. We stand with the survivors impacted by the horrors reported this week, and we vow to continue fighting for the resources necessary to ensure that no survivor in our Commonwealth has to suffer alone.
In solidarity,
Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC)
Casa Myrna Vasquez
Health Imperatives
Transition House
