Sep

28

Proud to be part of this movement

Tags: , ,
Filed Under Motivating Moments, Public Policy | By Linda Hunter | Leave a Comment

Why do I think about writing a blog mostly when something causes me to feel frustrated or sad?  Or sometimes just left me puzzled, usually with questions that aren’t even answerable…in my lifetime at least?

So, I’ve been on the lookout for something I consider positive to write about.  I found it.

“Rape in the United States: The Chronic Failure to Report and Investigate Rape Cases.”  I know.  I know.  If that sounds positive to me, you don’t want to read about anything I’d consider negative.  But wait.  Recently the Senate Judiciary Committee held a Crime and Drugs Subcommittee hearing to “draw attention to how the crime of rape is treated in our country.”

That’s how Susan Carbon, Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, described the hearing’s purpose.  Reading her testimony gave me that first inkling I’d found something positive.  She didn’t sugarcoat the failure of reporting and investigating sexual assault. Though plenty of her testimony sets off alarms, she acknowledged years of activism that “began to transform the way that sexual violence was viewed and addressed in our society.” That made me proud to be part of this work.

I’d read CNN’s Feds undercounting rape victims, advocates warn highlighting the glut of problems with using Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data.

Advocates question the rape statistics because, they note, the federal government is using a 1929 definition of the crime that excludes male victims, statutory rapes and those committed without force.

Using such an antiquated, narrow definition is a harmful disservice to countless victims, according to Carol Tracy, executive director of the Philadelphia-based Women’s Law Project.

Not much here to ring positive bells. Oh, except when Senator Arlen Spector says, “I think we can get the FBI to change its definition.”  So let’s get that done!

Breaking the “let’s look for what’s wrong” habit is difficult for me.  Though I agree totally with Carol Tracy’s statement that using UCR stats “is a harmful disservice to countless victims,” I’m thinking, “Yes, and it’s a don’t-even-think-about-going-to-jail card for more perpetrators than I care to imagine.  Why doesn’t somebody testify about that?  Why doesn’t somebody put the spotlight on perpetrators?”

Then I read Scott Berkowitz’ testimony.  Yes, he puts the spotlight on perpetrators.

The Justice Department estimates that 60% of victims never report their rape to police. And since many reports don’t lead to an arrest, and many arrests don’t lead to a conviction or prison time, the bottom line is that only one out of every 16 rapists will ever spend even a single day in jail. One.

Let me put that another way: 15 out of every 16 rapists in America will walk free. Even after all the progress we’ve made — and we have made significant strides in getting more victims to report and improving policing and prosecution — even after years of effort, 15 out of 16 rapists face no consequences for their actions. Not only do they escape any punishment for the crime they’ve just committed, they’re emboldened to commit another rape, and many more after that.

And then with a “well, duh” he adds, “Not surprisingly, rapists have figured this out.”

Knowing that the truth is spoken aloud–by fierce advocates to people who have the power to make needed changes should they have the guts to do it–qualifies as positive, and hopeful, to me.

What do you think?  What positives do you see in the anti-sexual assault movement? What makes you proud to be part of this work?

Share

Sep

14

Can we please just call it what it is?

Tags: , ,
Filed Under News | By Linda Hunter | 2 Comments

“…received eight life sentences for his inappropriateness with a 13-year old girl.”

Inappropriateness?  What on earth does someone do that’s “inappropriate” to end up in jail, much less prison for eight life sentences?

Reading or hearing something like this makes me want to scream!  I want to yell, inappropriately for sure, “Why can’t we call sexual assault, sexual abuse and rape what they are?”  I think it’s important that reporters correctly identify and name these crimes instead of resorting to euphemisms and vague language.  I want to be fair to the writers of this newspaper article .   Most of the report details the trial in which a local resident was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault of a child and continuous sexual abuse of a young child.  They clearly named those crimes.

They didn’t use terms that minimize victimization or totally obscure the crime.

Until the article’s end, that is.  There we learn this was the second sex offender to be sentenced in four months.    It was the first who “received eight life sentences for his inappropriateness with a 13-year old girl.”

So what do I do beyond feeling angry and frustrated that still it seems so hard to call sexual assault what it is?   I’d like to talk to the two writers, who are both new in the community.  I want to thank them for writing about a child sexual abuse trial and highlighting how important it is for the community to work together to combat sexual abuse.  And then I want to talk about the “inappropriateness with a-13 year old” phrase.

Perhaps now that I’ve cooled down a bit, I can do that.  Any suggestions for what I should say?

Share

Nov

10

Child Advocacy Center Conference Offers New Insight

Tags: ,
Filed Under Uncategorized | By Rose Luna | Leave a Comment

maya_kChild sexual assault is a concern shared across political, racial and socioeconomic boundaries. I attended the Children’s Advocacy Center of Texas annual conference in Austin last week and was overwhelmed (in a positive way) by the information.

I walked away with a deep appreciation for the delicate process of a forensic interview and child forensic interviewers. Child sexual assault issues have received much legislative attention the past two sessions. The Texas tough penalties are in effect, however the muddled dynamics of child sexual assault remain the same.  Societal (potential jury members’) expectations rely on definitive physical and DNA evidence, however most confirmed cases of child sexual assault presented at emergency rooms across the country are found inconclusive. This highly-charged atmosphere places a huge burden on all agencies involved in these cases, specifically child forensic interviewers and prosecutors.

I attended a session by Chris Newlin, executive director of the National Children’s Advocacy Center, in which a prosecutor in the audience raised two concerns: first, the lack of specific information (date, time, place, type of assaults, etc.) obtained from the interview process and, second, the lack of knowledge of child sexual assault statutes amongst interviewers. Mr. Newlin countered with a methodical explanation of child sexual assault disclosure as a process rather than an event.

The concerns, although valid, are very cut and dry, whereas the dynamics surrounding child sexual assault are not. Therein lies the impediment to justice for child victims and society as a whole.

The burden on child victims and forensic interviewers are great and with the stiff penalties of Jessica’s Law the stakes are high for prosecutors. The responsibility of keeping children safe lies unduly on child victims, agencies obtaining evidence and prosecutors putting away the bad guys.  The community must recognize its role in creating an environment conducive for the safety of all its members.  Until then… hats off to those in the trenches.

Share