WASHINGTON—U.S. President Donald Trump has declared April to be National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, saying “prevention means reducing the prevalence of sexual violence on our streets, in our homes, and in our schools and institutions.”

“Women, children, and men have inherent dignity that should never be violated,” Trump said in his proclamation on Friday afternoon.

The national month was established by Congress and George. W. Bush in 2003 and recognized every year by Bush and Barack Obama with little media attention.

Trump, though, has been accused of sexual assault by 12 women over the past year. During his campaign, he called his accusers liars, said some of them were too unattractive for him to think about sexually, and promised to sue them after his victory.

He was also recorded in 2005 boasting of what sounded like the kind of sexual assault his accusers alleged he had committed, saying he kisses and gropes women without waiting for consent.

“Grab them by the p----y. You can do anything,” he said in the recording, which was leaked in October.

He struck a different note in the proclamation.

“In the face of sexual violence, we must commit to providing meaningful support and services for victims and survivors in the United States and around the world,” the text read.

He urged all Americans to “support survivors of sexual assault and work together to prevent these crimes in their communities.”

“As a nation, we must develop meaningful strategies to eliminate these crimes, including increasing awareness of the problem in our communities, creating systems that protect vulnerable groups, and sharing successful prevention strategies,” he said.

Trump also declared April to be National Child Abuse Prevention Month, National Financial Capability Month, Cancer Control Month and National Donate Life Month.

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