Vicenza Military Community participates in International Denim Day

VICENZA, Italy -- On a cool April day, a mother pushes her young daughter in a stroller as her son walks alongside. In her mind, she is not only helping to raise awareness to sexual assault, she is setting an example for her children.

"If someone approaches my children I want them to be able to say 'no'," said Jessica Van Vleet, wife of Staff Sgt. Patrick Van Vleet, an infantrymen with 173rd Airborne Brigade. "By doing this walk, it shows them that I care."

More than 300 Vicenza Military Community residents participated in an International Denim Day walk, held at Caserma Ederle, April 28. The walk was coordinated by members of Morale, Welfare and Recreation and the U.S. Army Garrison Italy Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program to raise awareness within the community.

International Denim Day is an observance which came about from an incident which took place in Rome, Italy.

In a 1992 case involving rape, the Italian Supreme Court ruled the victim, a teenage girl, must have given consent to her attacker, a driving instructor, because she was wearing tight denim jeans and would have had to voluntarily remove them, making the act consensual and not rape.

The ruling sparked widespread protest. Following the decision, women from the Italian Parliament protested by wearing jeans and holding signs, which read "Jeans: An alibi for rape."

As a result, during International Denim Day, people world-wide show their support by wearing jeans.

Spc. Stacy Lewis, a geospatial engineer with 517th Geospatial Engineer Detachment, USARAF, said the story behind the event compelled her to participate.

"It is important to be out here in support of all victims affected by such heinous acts," said Lewis.

Lewis said she found out about the event while visiting a SHARP display table with patches of denim, markers and glitter paint on it. She picked up glitter paint and designed a patch symbolizing her support for rape victims, while a SHARP representative told her the story behind the walk.

USAG-Italy SHARP representatives put together the event to promote the SHARP program and to provide support for victims of sexual assault.

"We want to get the message out that these types of acts will not be tolerated," said Master Sgt. Henry Arnold III, U.S. Army Africa's Sexual Assault Response Coordinator.

Col. Frances Hardison, USARAF director of human resources and guest speaker, kicked off the walk with an informative and though-provoking speech.

"Denim Day is a call to action," said Hardison. "It summons us to do nothing less than change the shame and blame and cover-ups that we have become so accustomed to. To make these changes, it requires all of us."

The walk ended at the Caserma Ederle Arena, where SHARP representatives unveiled a hand-stitched quilt made entirely of personalized patches of denim.

The quilt, assembled by Sarah Galvin, a USARAF resources management secretary, took more than 30 hours and 200 individual pieces of denim to create.

According to Michelle Demarais, USAG-Italy SHARP victim advocate, the quilt is a symbol of the awareness created by VMC residents for its residents.

"This is the first time something like this has been done here," said Demarais, referring the quilt.

From a mother setting an example to her children to a Soldier touched by a true story, VMC came together and walked for what they believe in.

"Let's make Denim Day stand for more than just one day of the year," said Hardison. "Let's continue this intentionally, so that one day, we can reverse the belief that sexual abuse or rape is inevitable; so that no one is sexually harassed, violated, trafficked or abused."

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