A draconian, illegal, and immoral policy stating, essentially, that ?all rape victims are liars has finally landed the Norfolk, VA., Police Department in a world of trouble. A 22- year- old rape victim endured countless threats and ?endless harassment by Norfolk, VA Police Investigators due to a long- standing internal sexual assault policy classifying all rape cases as ?unfounded? and having no requirements for the victims to receive medical attention and assessment for sexual assault. One Investigator went so far as to threaten saying,?“If we find out you are lying, this will be a felony charge.”
The investigators had failed to release a composite sketch of the serial rapist. They were also so demeaning and intimidating that the 22- year- old victim walked out of the interview. Their draconian policy allowed the rapist, Roy Ruiz Laredo, to remain free so he could go on to rape three more women in the Virginia Beach area before Norfolk, VA decided to actually do their duty to ?protect and serve? the people of the community. Unfortunately, in this instance, the saying, “there is more than just the one victim from sexual assault” is horribly true. Thanks to the fact that their policy essentially says that all rape victims are liars until they can demonstrate otherwise, the Norfolk police allowed even more women to be victimized.
Fed up with the mental harassment from the Norfolk Police, the victim wrote a scathing statement detailing the disgusting and unprofessional handling of her sexual assault and the lack of progress in finding Roy Ruiz Laredo. The Norfolk, VA Police have since enacted changes within the Special Crimes Division to include online and classroom training of its investigators for sexual assault, Post Traumatic Stress, and women’s advocacy. Rape Crisis professionals are now allowed to sit in on the victim interviews in an effort to further reduce the trauma and stress of reliving the rape through the retelling of the events.
Although this is a step into the 21st Century, the long prevailing policy of ?all rape victims are liars? will not go away anytime soon from the minds of the currently employed Norfolk, VA., Special Crimes Division. Imagine how many victims never sought justice because Norfolk, VA., wasn’t interested in it.
Edited/Published by: SB
