Tessa Phair: Letting sexual assault cases stall after being reported to the police halts justice for victims and allows perpetrators to avoid consequences.
that “only one in ten cases of sexual assault in Salt Lake and Utah County end in a conviction, and police send less than half to prosecutors to be considered for charges.” Now that we have cleared the rape kit backlog, we can do more to address recent cases. Letting cases stall after being reported to the police halts justice for victims and allows perpetrators to avoid consequences.
Despite our success in testing all kits, the 2021 report on sexual assault cases in Salt Lake and Utah County still bears the fingerprints of the “real rape” myth.“whether a victim was asleep and awakened to the assault is the greatest predictor in both counties of whether a case will be prosecuted, making it far more likely.
I am grateful to live in a state that has eliminated its backlog. We must continue this trajectory by eliminating rape myths from other criminal justice procedures. As we work toward a fairer system, our communities must also be more supportive of survivors of rape. Everyone can educate themselves on sexual assault. We can recognize rape myths we believe, which typically provoke mistrust of victims, and remove them through better understanding.
Caveat: I recognize that false accusations of rape have historically been used to oppress black men and that the criminal justice system is prejudiced against men of color, especially in crimes against white women.By Tessa Phair | For The Salt Lake Tribune
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