RAPES AND SEXUAL ASSAULTS
ARE THE FOCUS OF CHAPTER 10
IN THE NINTH AND TENTH EDITIONS
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AUTHOR CHARGES DONALD TRUMP RAPED HER IN A DEPARTMENT STORE DRESSING ROOM IN 1995
Adds another serious charge against President Trump, in addition to those cited on p. 386 of Chapter 10 of the Tenth Edition.
She accused him in a book of using force to complete the penetration after some banter about buying a dress in an upscale store. The alleged crime was not reported at the time. When the President denied her charges, she sued him for defaming her reputation, as recounted here
Find out how President Trump’s denials sparked more controversy here.
Review the older charges against Donald Trump that emerged when he was running for president in 2016 here.
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DID JOE BIDEN SEXUALLY ASSAULT A STAFFER IN 1993? WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE?
The author of this review article concludes that “one of the slogans that emerged from the nascent #MeToo movement was “Believe women.” But it was never that simple; nobody ever said, or meant, “Believe every woman, no matter how incredible or undocumented her claim.” Read about the charges, and the inconsistencies surrounding the disturbing allegation here. Then view this video with what might be additional evidence here.
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THE RAPE KIT BACKLOG PROBLEM CONTINUES
The persistent problem of untested rape kits is discussed in Box 10.3 on pages 400-401 in the Tenth Edition.
What Is A Rape Kit?
Myths apparently surround the nature and purpose of the collection of forensic evidence packaged into a “rape kit,” according to this columnist.
The Problem Is Still Growing, Not Shrinking!
Congress passed the Debbie Smith Act in 2004 to adequately fund the testing of rape kits stored in police department evidence rooms.
But apparently, $1 billion is not enough money to pay for the testing of all these evidence collections. More kits are being submitted by police departments, the forensic science labs can’t keep up with the volume, and the backlog is doubling, as explained here.
Big Backlog In Texas
About 20,000 untested rape kits containing samples of clothing, hair, and skin sit on the shelves of police department storage areas all across the state of Texas. The problem is that there is insufficient funding to carry out the forensic analysis of this evidence collected directly from victims in the aftermath of sexual assaults. Read the article here. Also, find out what victim advocates are doing to end the backlog here.
Suit Claims Memphis Police Routinely Dispose Of Rape Kits Without Testing Them
A sexual assault victim filed a lawsuit contending that the forensic evidence collected from her at a rape crisis center was never used for investigatory purposes – as was the case with around 15,000 other kits over the years, as reported here.
Medical Bills Add Insult To Injury
Since the passage of the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994, victims’ bills arising from forensic medical exams are supposed to be paid for by state governments. In some states, there are no out-of-pocket costs for victims who get tested and treated for sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. And yet, some hospitals still mistakenly send out bills, and bill collectors hound victims, according to this radio report.
This billing problem is not new. Years ago, it was condemned by a N.Y. Times columnist.
Testing Is Not Enough; Action Is Required
In recent years, Congress has allocated money to pay for the testing of more kits sitting on the shelves of some local police departments, as described here. But the test results won’t lead to more arrests and convictions unless additional funds are earmarked for more investigators and prosecutors, as this news video explains.
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HERE ARE THE WOMEN WHO ACCUSED A MOVIE MOGUL OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING THEM – THEIR REVELATIONS SPARKED THE “#ME TOO!” MOVEMENT
About 90 women have come forward and complained about instances of sexual misconduct by the movie producer . Some details about five of the accusers who were willing to testify against him, and what they claim he did to them, were presented as the trial of the alleged sexual predator was about to begin, as described here.
At the trial, several of the victims conceded that they maintained contact – and even cordial or intimate relations – after the alleged sexual assault. How the prosecution and the defense addressed this thorny issue is described here and how the issue of victims forgetting details of what happened years later is recounted here.
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SOME VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS “MET” THEIR ASSAILANTS THROUGH ONLINE DATING SITES
The results of a study based on a preliminary survey reveal that dating sites do not effectively screen the people who sign up for their matchmaking services. Many examples are discussed in this radio program here and the underlying research here . _______________________________________________SOME VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS WERE ATTACKED DURING A RIDE-HAIL SERVICE TRIP
Passengers, some of whom were inebriated on weekend nights, – and drivers too – have reported to Uber about sexual assaults they suffered during their ride. Considering that these sexual assaults took place between complete strangers, the statistics might be considered rather alarming, as explained here.
_____________________________________HUGE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS TEENAGE GIRLS SEXUALLY TRAFFICKED AND EXPLOITED AND RAPED BY A MULTIMILLIONAIRE WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE IN JAIL
It is a highly politicized and complicated case that will take years to unravel and resolve. Some accusers and commentators allege that sex trafficking of teens and blackmail schemes took place, as an outgrowth of an insidious system of privilege that exploits children as sexual commodities. Conspiracy theories circulate about the offender’s unexplained riches and prominence, the government’s failure to shut down his activities, and about his suspicious death after his second arrest .
When he was caught the first time, in 2006, the financier received an extremely light sentence secretly negotiated by his high powered lawyers with the agreement of the federal prosecutor in Florida, who later became the Secretary of Labor in the Trump Administration before he was forced to step down.
–A young victim who was “purchased” from her parents abroad at age 15 and was considered a “sex slave” inexplicably was willing to visit him – and was permitted to do so 90 times by the authorities – while he served a suspiciously lenient sentence in a Florida county jail during 2008, according to this news article.
–His estate is being sued by women who allege that he sexually exploited and abused them, some in recent years, some as far back as 1999. Some claim he paid them for “nude sexual massages” when they were underage (14 and 15 years old). An investigative reporter helped to reopen this case by locating as many as 60 of the girls and getting 4 to speak “on the record.” The alleged acts of sexual abuse took place between 1999 and 2005 are recounted here.
–One of his victims who was exploited when she was a teenage runaway is interviewed here.
–Some of his other young victims are interviewed here.
–One victim charges he raped her when she was just 15 years old, with the assistance of a female accomplice, in this graphic account.
— Another victim filed a lawsuit against the dead offender’s estate plus four women who allegedly enabled the systematic sexual abuse of underage teens. She was able to sue because of a recently enacted New York State law that permits suits for acts that happened to children many years ago, as explained here.
— So many victims have filed lawsuits against the financier’s multi-million dollar estate that its executors have proposed setting up a compensation fund that will be administered by a highly respected expert, as explained here.
-An attempt to cash in on the scandal by a con man led to an unusual examination of the possible role of some of the lawyers representing the women is presented here.
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Investigation Reveals Shortcomings In The Highly Respected NYPD Special Victims Divisions
An internal investigation discovered that some rape and sexual assault victims in New York City did not receive the high level of service and support they anticipated, as documented here.
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Prosecutors In Houston Texas Criticized
For Mishandling Victims Of Sexual Attacks
A number of homeless women were preyed upon until detectives placed a higher priority on tracking down the assailant. But then the local prosecutor came under fire for reasons explained in this investigative report.
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RECOGNIZING VICTIM-BLAMING WHEN YOU HEAR OR SEE IT…
This columnist identifies the various guises victim-blaming takes, and suggests how to respond when someone confides that he or she has been sexually assaulted here.
Articles that appear online often allow readers to post “comments.” A content analysis of reader’s comments revealed that a considerable proportion can be categorized as “victim-blaming,” as presented here.
VIDEO COMPARES ROBBERY TO RAPE TO MOCK VICTIM-BLAMING
When a victim of a robbery(actually a burglary) is castigated for arousing the interest of an offender,the illogical arguments hurled at rape victims become clear in comparison, as shown here.
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ABOUT VICTIMS
OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS
WHILE SERVING IN THE
U.S. ARMED FORCES
Sexual assaults in the military are discussed on p. 10 of Ch. 1. and pp. 368-369 in Ch. 10 of the 9th Edition; and pp.15-16 as well as pp. 415-416 in Ch. 10 in the 10th Edition.How Prevalent Are Sexual Assaults
in the Military Services?
The latest annual survey conducted by the Pentagon indicates that sexual assault rates are down and reporting rates are up, as documented here.
But the risks vary by location. Personnel serving on Navy ships at sea face the highest risks while those stationed at the Pentagon have the lowest risks, as determined by the searchable database presented here.
New Pentagon Report
About Sexual Assaults
In Military Academies
Indicates A Spike in 2017-2018
About 16 percent of women and 2 percent of men reported being sexually assaulted at the military’s premier military colleges: the Army’s academy at West Point, the Air Force academy in Colorado Springs, and the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
The number of students reporting unwanted sexual contact rose sharply during the 2017-2018 academic year, according to anonymous surveys of cadets and midshipmen. Unwanted sexual contact ranges from groping to rape. Zero tolerance policies implemented and monitored by the Pentagon’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office do not seem to have the desired effect, as explained here.
The problem of sexual assaults committed by servicemen against women who have enlisted in a branch of military service is examined in detail in this latest report from the Pentagon. Read it here.
Who Are The Most Common Victims
Of Sexual Assaults in The Military?
The Majority Are Young Men!
Most people assume the prevailing pattern is males forcing themselves on females, but according to the latest survey, 53% of the respondents disclosing their plight (but not lodging formal complaints) were men (usually assaulted by other men). Of course, since women still make up a disproportionally small percent of all members of the military service, their group victimization rate is higher. But male-on-male sexual violence (including unwanted touches but excluding mere harassment) indicates that the problem is deeply rooted in the culture of the armed forces, analysts say.
Read about the experiences of male victims here. Also, see this account by an Air Force veteran who kept his emotional suffering from a brutal gang rape a secret for 30 years here.
A photographer has captured the suffering of these veterans in her pictures, as shown here.
Visit the webpage of the Army for advice about how to handle vicitmization here.
Sexual Assaults By Men Against Other Men In The Armed Forces Has Been An Overlooked Problem
Male-on-male victimization in prisons and jails is a well known problem. But this pattern of abuse on military bases and in barracks finally is gaining the attention it requires. All the same issues arise: reluctance to report and fear of reprisals; but one special difficulty must be endured: ridicule. Read about the plight of male victims of sexual assaults in the military here.
As A Candidate, Donald Trump Blamed The Female Victims
Before he was elected, Trump said that the problem can be traced back to the close proximity of women working side by side with many men. See the reaction to his remark here.
A Young Recruit Describes How She Was Raped By Her Training Instructor
The 19 year-old was at an air force base in Texas for just 5 weeks when the man entrusted to protect her life during basic training instead took advantage of his power over her. Read her account of the rape here.
A Rape Victim Who Did Not Report What Happened To Her Now Says The Military Justice System Is “Broken”
After she became an agent in the Criminal Investigation Division, she was asked to look into the case of a serial rapist: the soldier who sexually assaulted her. Hear her story in an interview here.
The Coast Guard Has A Sexual Assault Problem Too
Women have served in the Coast Guard since the start of World War II and now make up about 15% of all active duty members of this branch of the military (it is now part of the Department of Homeland Security). Read about what happens to victims of sexual assault when they are transferred to the Boston area base here.
Spotlight On The Problem At An Air Force Base In Texas
At a 2013 hearing about sexual assaults of women at Lackland Air Force base in Texas by higher ranking officers, the reluctance of the victims to report offenses by their superiors was cited as a major part of the problem, along with the persistence of a climate of exploitation. Read the article.
An Experiment To Counter Fear of Reprisals Is Underway At An Air Force Base in Texas
To encourage victims to come forward and press charges, the Air Force is conducting an experiment: supplying victim advocates for those who report offenses and cooperate with the prosecution. Read the article here
The Senate Armed Services Committee Examines The Persistent Problem Of Sexual Assaults
Victims will be called to testify about their plight and their suggestions for reform. A similar probe was carried out in 1997. Read about the hearings here.
What Is The Best Way To Handle Sexual Assaults That Take Place On Military Bases?
Congress is considering some reforms. Which approach is genuinely “pro-victim”? Listen to a very informative debate on a radio program here or read the transcript with insights and important data here. Read a transcript of a TV news interview with a senator who has a proposal for reform here and then watch a segment where two senators disagree over how to best help victims of sexual assaults here. As the U.S. Senate considers two competing approaches, both sides of the debate are presented in this news article and the video report.
Although 17 of the 20 women in the Senate favored the bill, after months of politicking the Senate voted down a proposed reform in the way the military handles reports of sexual assaults, as analyzed here.
One commentator argues that the wants and needs of the actual injured parties has not received the attention it deserves during the Congressional debates, as explained here.
Ironically, President Obama’s strong condemnation of those who commit sexual assaults may prejudice existing trials. The unanticipated consequence of his call for automatic dishonorable discharges will be taken by defense attorneys as unfairly prejudicing the outcomes of current and future court martials, as this article contends.
Under Fire, The Department Of Defense
Implements A New Policy
One change is that sexual assault victims will be provided with an advocate who will help them as they become involved in the military’s legal system. Another is that victims will be given a greater say at sentencing. One critic calls these “baby steps,” as recounted here.
Sexual Assaults Against Female Members
Of The Armed Forces Is An Old Problem
To provide a little historical context, note that this problem has been festering for decades. This 1992 newspaper article describes a hearing that was held around the time of the first Gulf War and cites a study carried out in 1998 by the Pentagon.
A Treatment Center Offers Aid To All Sexual Assaults Victims, Including Males
Located at a hospital in Manhattan, it is facing a funding shortfall. View the video here.
Sexual Assaults Of Women In The Military
Raise Risks Of Homelessness Back Home
Psychologists have coined the term “Military Sexual Trauma” (MST) to refer to the type of stress disorder that can haunt female veterans returning to civilian life. Read about several victims’ difficulties here.
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ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULTS
ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES
Provides more insights into the difficulties of effectively handling sexual assaults among college students discussed on pp. 362-368 in Ch. 10 in the 9th edition. and pp. 406-415 in Ch. 10 in the 10th edition. _____________________________________________The issue of “consent” is what differentiates unwanted sexual assaults from mutually-agreed -upon sexual experiences.
“No means no!” is a well known standard for judging whether an assault took place. But college administrations are grappling with the complex question of “exactly what constitutes ‘yes’ “? Even college students the next morning might be confused about what took place the night before, and whether campus policies and state laws were violated, according to this investigation into the meaning of consent, on campus and off. Listen to the radio news item here.
As demanded by the “Yes means Yes” movement, codes of conduct on as many as 1,400 college campuses now require “Affirmative Consent,” on a step-by-step basis. How these “scripts” play out in actual practice these days is examined in this article. How workshops on campus addressed the same issues of “Can I do this” more than 20 years ago is examined here.
A case that polarized a college campus – in which an undergraduate accused an athlete of date rape – leads to an acquittal in court. Read about the trial – in which the jury decided the act was consensual – here. And then read more details about the incident and the climate of sexual conflict on the campus here.
In another widely publicized case, a student carried her dormitory mattress – representing the scene of the crime – around with her to dramatize her demand that her ivy league university expel her assailant, as explained here. However, a campus-based judicial inquiry exonerated him, and after two failed attempts to sue the university, it paid him an undisclosed amount to compensate him for the loss of his reputation, as described here
Do college administrations seek to cover-up sexual assaults that take place on campus? See the views of several students who suffered sex crimes several years ago here.
This article suggests ways to improve how complaints are handled about acquaintance rape on campus. Read it here.
Activists across the country invoked the Civil Rights Act and the Clery Act to compel the U.S. Dept. of Education to investigate the mistreatment of sexual assault victims by administrators on the campuses of elite colleges, according to this article.
The federal government during the Obama Administration set up a website to inform students of their rights and to offer practical advice and concrete forms of assistance: visit NotAlone.gov.
Under pressure from women’s groups, the Obama Administration set up a task force to suggest “best practices” concerning the handling of sexual assaults on campus, as reported here. The task force issued its recommendations, as listed here, although some activists feel the anticipated crackdown will not be sufficient.
Compare the recommendations of the task force above to a list of recommendations that were issued 25 years earlier, around the time that the problem of the “rape of college students” was rediscovered and campus rape crisis centers were being set up, as summarized here. At that time, the threat posed by intruders seemed to be greater. Women walking on campus late at night were issued whistles, as described here. As for acquaintance rape, the problem was said to stem from heavy drinking at parties held by fraternities.
Fraternities are still currently the focus of attention, and the targets of college administrations seeking to prevent sexual assaults, binge drinking, and abusive hazing. Read about the crackdown that is shuttering some fraternities and placing others on probation, while forcing others off campus here.
Under the Trump administration new guidelines were developed to handle sexual assault allegations on campus. Read the reactions and responses of college administrators here.
The strategy of encouraging bystander intervention as a way of preventing or cutting short sexual assaults is reviewed here.
An ivy league university came under fire for mistreating victims of sexual assaults. The college president pledged to do a better job of handling these cases by balancing “confidentiality with transparency,” as described here.
But a longtime conservative critic of liberal feminists argued that the Obama administration was over-emphasizing the degree of danger and refusing to confront the “real problem:” irresponsible behavior by young women who drink too much. Read this controversial victim-blaming argument here.
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WHAT DOES “RAPE CULTURE” ACTUALLY REFER TO?
When advocates for sexual assault victims cite “rape culture” as the root of the problem, exactly what do they mean? This chart sheds light on the current situation.
An examination of the problem of “pro-rape sentiments” on campus appeared in a campus newspaper. Read it here, and then read an analysis here and the administration’s response here.
This column raises controversial issues, by contrasting “rape culture” with “grievance culture,” and by arguing that “not all sexual assaults are equally serious,” as explained here.
A college student is accused of sexually assaulting a number of young women he “dated.” Some people categorize this student’s exploits as illustrating what “rape culture” looks like on a college campus, as described here.
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VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE BY A DOCTOR ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS WHO “TREATED” YOUNG WOMEN ON SPORTS TEAMS HAVE THEIR DAY IN COURT
Expands upon an example of “using civil lawsuits to repay victims” that appeared on p. 484 in Chapter 12 of the Tenth Edition.
The doctor sexually abused the females on the Gymnastics team under the guise of examining them and treating their injuries in his campus office, as graphically described here.
More than 150 of his victims, encouraged by the judge, delivered impact statements at his sentencing hearing. Read some of the most dramatic and powerful condemnations of his actions here and view what some of the victims said here.
However, whether saying aloud in court – and to the world – what the offender did to them actually enables the victims to recover more completely and swiftly is raised at the end of this article.
The university president, a former Republican governor, resigned amidst an outcry after he told a reporter that the doctor’s victims had been in the “spotlight” and are “still enjoying that moment at times, you know, the awards and recognition,” as reported here.
A trailer from a documentary about the case can be viewed here.
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RUNAWAY NYC TEEN “TRAFFICKED” AND FORCED INTO PROSTITUTION
A teenage runaway from Manhattan tells a chilling tale about being forced into prostitution in the Bronx.
She was a victim a rape because she was underage, held captive, and forced to submit to sex with much older men against her will. Now she is a college student, and tells a columnist about her plight and recovery here.
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DATE RAPE CASE AT A PRESTIGIOUS PREP SCHOOL REVEALS EVIDENCE OF A “RAPE CULTURE” ON ITS CAMPUS
Illustrates what some consider to be a tradition of encouragement of boys to sexually exploit girls, as discussed on p. of the 9th edition.
A 15 year old girl was coerced to submit to an 18 year-old high school senior’s advances as part of the annual “senior salute” tradition, according to jurors, as reported here. But the more serious charges brought by the prosecution in the girl’s behalf were rejected by jurors because they felt she did not make her unwillingness to proceed clear enough to him, as described in this news article. Exactly what he did, and what the penalties are, is described in this summary of the law.
RAPE, PREGNANCY, AND POLITICS
A NUMBER OF POLITICAL FIGURES WEIGH IN ON THE SUBJECT OF WHETHER A RAPE VICTIM CAN GET PREGNANT AND WHETHER SHE SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO GET AN ABORTION
Expands upon a dilemma concerning what should the victim do if she is impregnated during a rape, as discussed on pp. 368-369 in Ch. 10 of the 10th edition.A newspaper editorial provides an overview of the recent instances in which elected officials expressed views about the problem of sexual violence and what to do about it, as summarized here.
Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum was interviewed in 2012 about his strong anti-abortion views. He explains that he would advise his daughter, if she was raped, to bear the child.
Republican candidate Todd Aiken claimed that pregnancies did not result from “legitimate rapes” and created a firestorm of controversy. Although he was under pressure to withdraw from the contest, he stayed in the race but was defeated by his Democratic opponent. See a news video:
President Obama criticized the notion of considering only certain sexual assaults to be “legitimate rapes” right before the 2012 election. See the video clip of his remarks:
A compilation of some of the remarks and assertions about rape and pregnancy that triggered strong emotions appears here as well as here.
A television talk show host who endured a sexual assault speaks out about this issue here.
But a woman who discovered that she was conceived out of a rape argues against abortion and in favor of the candidate (who lost the election). View the political ad here.
How Often Do Rape Victims Get Pregnant?
A professor cites studies that show victims of completed rapes are more likely – not less likely – to become pregnant as compared to girls and women who engage in consensual sex. Read the surprising findings and view the underlying research reports here.
A 1996 scientific study from a medical journal estimates an annual toll of 32,000, yielding a pregnancy rate of 5% resulting from all kinds of rapes of girls and women aged 12 to 45. View the abstract here. Read more about the medical evidence and debate here. And then put the pseudo-scientific claims by politicians into their historical context by reading this.
This issue – about how frequently a pregnancy arises from a rape [or incest] – comes up whenever bills are introduced in Congress or in state legislatures, that ban abortions without any exceptions, as discussed in this report and summarized here.
If A Child Is Born From A Rape Should The Man Have Visitation and Custody Rights?
A member of Congress has introduced a bill called the Rape Survivor Custody Act that would enable women to avoid court battles over parental rights, as described here. Right now, when women who get impregnated from completed rapes bear the child, the assailants can go to court in 33 states to seek visitation and even custody rights, according to the data presented here. In Arkansas, a bi-partisan coalition is propelling a bill though the state legislature that would strip a man of his parental rights vis-a-vis a child conceived after a rape, upon his conviction, as reported here.
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REPORT SUGGESTS HOW POLICE DEPARTMENTS CAN IMPROVE THEIR HANDLING OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS
Addresses issues about unfounded accusations raised on p. 311 in Ch. 10; and about campus rapes on pp. 345-346 in Ch. 11 of the 9th edition; and the discussion about false accusations on pp. 386-390 in Ch. 10 of the 10th edition.This study by the Police Executive Research Foundation (PERF) delves into a number of subjects, including handling what might be false allegations by a person pretending to be a victim; investigating rapes that take place on campuses; and the protocols adopted by several departments around the country. Read various chapters of the PERF report here.
Police departments across the country are reexamining the way they question complainants, gather evidence, and decide whether or not to make an arrest, as described here.
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WHAT HAPPENS TO CASES IN WHICH VICTIMS REPORT THEIR ORDEALS TO THE POLICE?
Addresses a crucial question raised in chapter 10.
Victims have been urged for decades to come forward and share the details of their intensely private and deeply disturbing sexual assaults with the police. But what happens when they do? An analysis of records kept by criminal justice agencies in southern Illinois discovered the answer: not much. Most reported cases do not reach court, and the overwhelming majority of offenders do not wind up behind bars.
Read the disappointing results of a long term case tracking project undertaken by an investigative journalist here.
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THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING DRUG-FACILITATED RAPES CONTINUES
Supports the argument that alcohol is the substance that incapacitates most victims, not “roofies” or other drugs, as stated on p.300 in Chapter 10in the 8th edition, and pp. 359-361 in Ch . 10 of the 9th edition.Although many movie and TV plots depict victims being slipped “date-rape drugs,” law enforcement and medical authorities point to heavy drinking as the culprit in almost all cases, based on their real-life experiences. Read the article here.
A fact sheet about drug-facilitated rapes, citing the various substances and their physical and mental effects on victims, which was issued by the federal government, can be viewed here.
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A FAMOUS TV COMEDIAN IS CONVICTED OF DRUG-FACILITATED SEXUAL ASSAULT AGAINST ONE WOMEN BUT WAS ACCUSED BY 34 OTHERS
Many women accused the comic of spiking their drinks and then sexually assaulting them. The oldest charge goes back to the 1960s; the most recent accusation concerned an incident at the Playboy mansion in 2008. In total, about 35 women have come forward to lodge accusations of drug-facilitated acquaintance rape, to urge prosecutors to file charges, and to launch lawsuits in civil court. Finally, the 80 year old “Dad” in a long-running TV sitcom was convicted of an aggravated indecent assault, as summed up here. (The statute of limitations had run out in nearly all the other cases) plus he settled one civil suit. Many of the victims suffered in silence for decades, fearing that no one would believe them. But the sheer number of similar sounding charges made each accusation seem more credible, and a number of colleges that awarded an honorary degree to the comedian over the decades have revoked them, as described here, and here.
Most of the women who accuse the comedian of raping them by using drugs can’t pursue justice in criminal courts because the statute of limitations has expired. In frustration, some have called for an end to the statute for limitations in cases of sexual assault, as described here, but such calls to strengthen the prosecution worries civil libertarians, according to this reply. Another approach is for these women is to sue him in civil court for defamation of character, since the comic and his lawyer had publicly belittled them, as explained here. His wife was deposed in the lawsuit, as described here.
The items above illustrate how victims can sue alleged offenders in civil court, an avenue of redress that is described on pp. 428-433 of Ch. 12 of the 9th edition
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HERE IS A PROVEN CASE ABOUT A NUMBER OF VICTIMS OF DRUG-FACILITATED DATE RAPE
The textbook states in Ch. 10 that there are very few well documented cases in which an assailant surreptitiously used a drug to carry out a date rape.
Despite ineffective police investigations into the complaints lodged by a number of women, eventually a successful prosecution of a professional athlete took place. Read an insightful analysis about it here.
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A VIDEO OF WHAT APPEARS TO BE A DRUG-FACILITATED ACQUAINTANCE RAPE GOES VIRAL
A 16 year old high school student is given a drink at a party by a “friend,” loses consciousness, and remembers nothing after that. But other teens alert her that a video of her being sexually assaulted has gone viral, and it makes the TV news. One commentator condemns this example of “rape culture” as a “vile blockbuster for the selfie generation” and demands that people wake up and work to change attitudes, as recounted here.
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CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS THE HANDLING OF A RAPE OF AN INTOXICATED GIRL COMMITTED BY HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES IN A SMALL TOWN
Addresses victim-blaming and victim-defending arguments raised on pp. 295-303 in Ch. 10; also, cases involving alcohol, analyzed on pp. 343-344 in Ch. 11 of the 8th edition; and also pp.328 -338 in Ch. 10 of the 9th edition.Incriminating information about the rape in Ohio of an unconscious underage girl was posted by the perpetrators themselves on Facebook and in text messages. Months later, two teens are arrested. Read an article about the case here, and then view a panel discussion about the controversy here. As the trial began, a town was torn apart and a national conversation was ignited. View a panel discussion about whether taking advantage of an inebriated young woman constitutes acquaintance rape, how bystanders should react, and how males are socialized here. After the girl testifies persuasively (read the article here and view the video here), the juvenile court judge sends the two football players to an institution for delinquents for at least one year. One reaction to the case is that teenage boys need to be trained to intervene rather than just stand around and watch and snicker (read the article here).
But perhaps some myths and inaccuracies have crept into the reporting and analyses of this case, as it transformed from a local scandal to a national crusade via social media, according to this radio interview.
After analyzing the implications of this case, a columnist presents a list she has assembled of 50 cases from the media in which a man took sexual advantage of an unresponsive person who was too drunk or drugged to give consent, as described here.
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A COURAGEOUS VICTIM OF A “SEXUAL ASSAULT” CAMPAIGNS FOR A BROADER DEFINITION OF “RAPE” IN NEW YORK STATE’S PENAL CODE
Connects to the new definition adopted by the FBI that was discussed on p. 75 in Ch. 3; raises issues about rape victims publicly identifying themselves, as mentioned on pp. 316-317 in Ch. 10; and provides another example of resilience to encourage the study of survivorology as described on pp. 23-25 in Ch. 1, and another inspiring example of activism that could be added to Box 13.3 on p. 422 of Ch. 13.An elementary school teacher was attacked by a drunken police officer but the ways he penetrated her were not considered to be a “rape” under the existing legal definition. She is trying to persuade the state legislature to change the law, even though the “sexual assault” she suffered carries the same penalties as a “rape.” Read about her personal struggle and political efforts here.
Then read about the women’s movement’s efforts over the years to reform laws governing how rape cases are handled by the criminal justice system here.
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WOMAN WRITES A BOOK ABOUT HER LIFE SINCE BEING SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AT AGE 13 BY A CELEBRITY
In 1977, a thirteen year old girl agreed to be a model for a famous film director but he exploited the situation and ended up accused of rape by use of drugs, perversion, sodomy, imposing a lewd and lascivious act upon a child under 14, and furnishing a controlled substance to a minor.He later pled guilty to the lesser charge of engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse but then fled the U.S. and over the decades has been in the news periodically for avoiding events in countries that would extradite him. But 35 years later, the girl he sexually assaulted has written a book about her troubled life, and the hostile reaction she and her mother endured when they first went to the police. Hear her being interviewed here.
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A TREATMENT CENTER OFFERS HELP TO ALL VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS, INCLUDING MALES.
CAN A COMEDIAN’S JOKE ABOUT RAPE EVER BE CONSIDERED FUNNY?
A stand-up comic made a joke about a member of the audience getting raped. Under what circumstances can rape be a laughing matter? View a discussion here.
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AN EPISODE OF A POPULAR TV SHOW RAISES THE ISSUES OF “LEGITIMATE RAPE” AND “PARENTAL CUSTODY RIGHTS”
“Law and Order: SVU”, known for incorporating issues raised by real events in the news, brought up two current controversies in the plot of an episode about a pregnancy arising from an acquaintance rape, as depicted here.
A REAL-LIFE SEX OFFENDER PLAYS THE PART OF A MAN WHO WAS MOLESTED AS A BOY ON A POPULAR TV SHOW
Illustrates the complexity of a former victim turning into an offender that was raised on p. 8 of Ch. 1A TWEET GETS TV’S DR. PHIL IN HOT WATER
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Native American Women on “Indian Reservations” Often Suffer Rapes But Rarely Get “Justice”
High rates of violence and sexual assaults take place on poverty-stricken reservations, and low rates of arrests and convictions plague the tribal justice system, according to this newspaper article and this one as well. The jurisdictional problems that leave native women unprotected from non-Indian assailants are explained here.
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STATEMENT READ IN COURT BY A RAPE VICTIM GOES VIRAL
A young woman who was sexually assaulted after drinking too much at a campus party writes a powerful victim impact statement that is widely circulated as extremely insightful, as recounted here
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YOUNG WOMAN ADMITS LODGING A FALSE ACCUSATION; NOW SHE MUST PAY
A professional football player’s career almost went off the rails because he appeared to be guilty of a sexual assault. But now his accuser has admitted her charges were false, as revealed here.
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INMATES RAPED BEHIND BARS
SEXUAL ASSAULTS (AND MURDERS) PLAGUE INMATES CONFINED IN ALABAMA’S PRISONS
Provides evidence that a problem discussed on pages 417 to 419 in Chapter 10 of the Tenth Edition still persists.
Although tough federal laws were passed to compel corrections officials to quell inmate-on-inmate violence and rape, the problem continues. A Department of Justice investigation has exposed high levels of rapes, beatings, stabbings, and murders in Alabama’s overcrowded and understaffed prisons, as described here.
