As we’ve reported extensively in recent weeks, the FBI uses the archaic definition of “forcible” rape in its yearly Uniform Crime Report (UCR): “the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will.” Many police departments interpret the definition to exclude victims who were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, because of the […]
Rape Kits
Sexual assault forensic exams, or rape kits, can be used to collect evidence from one’s body, clothes and personal belongings. While they can be powerful tools in delivering justice to survivors, the rape kit backlog—hundreds of thousands of rape kits that sit untested in storage facilities—all too often prevents this from happening. The rape kit backlog is a clear representation of the criminal justice system’s failure to address sexual violence.
Oral Rapes Are Real Rapes
Oral rape is among the many forms of rape that the FBI does not officially count under its narrow definition of rape: “the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will.” Today, a Ms. reader shares her story of being orally raped to help bring home the reality of the hundreds of thousands […]
Would Your Rape Be Counted?
At least 1 in 6 women in the U.S. will be raped in their lifetime. An estimated 1 in 10 rape victims are male, and studies have suggested that 1 in 2 transgender people will be sexually assaulted. But unless a rape fits the FBI’s 82-year-old definition, “The carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and […]
Juror in NYC Rape Case Questions Handling of Evidence
Melinda Hernandez, a member of the jury that last week acquitted two New York City police officers of rape, is distressed by a process that she felt left her no choice but to vote not guilty. Justice, she says, was not served. “As a feminist it really challenged my values to vote not guilty,” an […]
War on Drugs 1, War on Rape 0
I was called to jury duty last week at federal court in Los Angeles. Thirty-five prospective jurors were asked if they could fairly judge a man accused of selling a “small amount of a controlled substance”–crack cocaine–to an undercover cop. (In total, six undercover cops worked to bring this guy down!) When asked in voir […]
If a Woman Isn’t Bruised and Bleeding, Will Her Rape Be Counted?
In late January, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) sparked outrage when he introduced the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 3), which sought to further restrict abortion funding for all women. But what also angered feminists was that, in drafting an exception to allow abortion funding for survivors of rape, the bill defined “real” […]
DNA in Untested Rape Kit Matches Cleveland Serial Killer’s
It’s estimated that hundreds of thousands rape kits lie untested in police departments around the country. A case this week shows the toll this backlog can take in women’s lives. One rape kit that went untested was that of a Cleveland, Ohio woman who reported a brutal abduction in April 2009. She said a man […]
Making Us SAFER: A Bill to Reduce Rape Kit Backlog
Over 400,000 rape kits sit untested in refrigerators around the U.S. Any clues they may hold to rapists’ identities remain buried. But if the SAFER Act passes, the situation could drastically change. Yesterday, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) introduced a bill that would fund audits of unprocessed rape kits in cities […]