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One night in September 1997 an
intruder wielding a knife raped and sodomized Patty after
breaking into her home in Madison, Wisconsin. Nine years later,
the assailant is finally in jail. But for years police refused
to believe Patty, who was 38-years old at the time of the attack
and visually impaired with macular degeneration.
It took police three full days to assign a detective to Patty’s
case. Once the investigation got underway, police became
suspicious of her report because of “…observations,
discrepancies, inconsistencies and changing of the story” which
led the detective to believe that Patty was making a false
allegation. Six weeks after the assault police intimidated the
victim into recanting by creating a ruse – essentially lying to
the victim. In February 1998, they proceeded to file a criminal
complaint against Patty for making a false report.
According to Joanne Archambault, Executive Director of End
Violence Against Women International, “it is not unusual for
sexual assault victims to make statements that are incomplete,
inconsistent, or even untrue out of trauma, disorganization and
other factors unique to sexual assault.” In the
Promising
Practices article, Archambault and co-author Dr. Kim
Lonsway explain the mindset of the victim during that critical
period as well as measures which law enforcement can take to
address them.
The investigation into Patty’s case finally got jump-started
when her defense attorney noticed that some evidence had never
been tested, including the bedding. Although semen was
identified, there was no match at the time. The person Patty
thought might have been the suspect was excluded. In 2001 a
match was made to that of Joseph Bong who was serving an 18-year
sentence for armed robbery and false imprisonment. But that
hardly made up for Patty’s ordeal over the previous nine years.
Besides the emotional trauma of being disbelieved, the victim
suffered major financial set-backs. Since it was no longer
considered a rape due to her recanting, Patty was unable to make
a victims comp claim. She lost two months of rent money because
she could not use the rape as a legitimate reason to break her
lease. Ultimately Patty ended up losing her business and faced
bankruptcy.
A recently published book,
Cry Rape,
details Patty’s experience, with her cooperation. In reaction to
the book, the Madison, Wisconsin City Council passed a
resolution offering the city’s “most heartfelt apology” and a
$35,000 payment for legal fees and lost wages, according to the
Associated Press. The City Council President Austin King
called the case “one of the most enormous, colossal failures the
city has perpetrated.” Yet to this date the police continue to
deny any wrongdoing and defend their interview guidelines,
including the use of ruses “as a last resort when the integrity
of the allegation is in serious doubt.”.
The web site for the book,
Cry Rape,
includes numerous articles and documents related to this case.
Those interested in meeting the author will have the opportunity
to meet him during a book tour this month on the East Coast:
Boston
Monday, March 12, 2007, starting at 7 pm
Harvard University Campus, Cambridge, Mass.
Sever Hall, Room 202
Co-sponsors: Harvard Sexual Assault Prevention Office, Boston
Area Rape
Crisis Center
New York
Tuesday, March 13, 2007 starting at 7 pm
Bluestocking's Women's Bookstore
172 Allen St., Manhattan
Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007, starting at 7:30 pm
Georgetown Campus, Southwest Quad
McShain Lounge, McCarthy Hall
Sponsor: D.C-Area Rape Crisis Center
Philadelphia
Friday, March 16, 2007, starting at 7 pm
Robin's Bookstore
1837 Chestnut St. |
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