Agenda

Police Tactics: Are victims being treated fairly? Some towns are better than others, but in many cases the authorities lack compassion. The detective that I met with the night I was attacked was rude and acted as if he did not believe my story. If an offender is innocent until proven guilty, a victim should be believed until there is a rift in her story.

Repeat Sex Offenders: The man who abducted me had an extensive criminal history that included kidnap, rape, and murdering a 16-year-old girl in 1980. He was on parole when he attacked me.

Treatment Options: Discuss the treatment options available for sex offenders. Is there enough social work within the prison systems? Is chemical castration a viable and/or effective choice?

Athletes Who Rape: In 1998, I spoke with a girl who attended college at a university in the mid-west. A football player had raped her. She later found out that he had raped at least 7 other young women at that college. She reported the crime to the police, but they turned their heads and refused to investigate her claims

The Greek System: Fraternity parties can be very dangerous for young women due to the mix of alcohol, fraternal ideals, and college social norms.

Unnecessary Stigma Attached to a Victim: Sadly more often than not, sexual assault victims feel ashamed, guilty, and blame themselves for the crime.

Sexual Assault Still Taboo: Sex crimes are not topics that are freely discussed in our society. The responsibility of the crime needs to be shifted away from the victim, on to the offender.