Passaic Prosecutor's Office

Denim Day is traditionally observed on the last Wednesday of April, during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This day of action and awareness is an event where people are encouraged to wear denim to combat victim blaming and educate others about sexual violence.
Denim Day originated in 1999 after the Italian Supreme Court overturned the sexual assault conviction of a 45-year-old driving instructor who sexually assaulted an 18-year-old female taking her first driving lesson. A statement from the Court argued that because the victim was wearing very tight jeans, she must have helped him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was not rape but constituted consensual sex. This became known throughout Italy as the “jeans alibi.”  Enraged by the verdict, the women in the Italian Parliament launched a protest wearing jeans on the steps of the Supreme Court. This protest was picked up by international media and is now commemorated annually around the world.
Wearing denim sends a message in support of all sexual assault survivors and signifies that consent for sexual conduct has nothing to do with one’s clothing.

For more information about National Denim Day , please visit RAINN, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network at www.rainn.org or contact PCPO Victim Witness Coordinator Joan Nixon at Jnixon@passaiccountynj.org.