Oregon Woman Convicted of Acting Insufficiently Traumatized
Posted by Ampersand | December 4th, 2005
An Oregon woman who says she was gang-raped by three men, has been convicted of filing false rape charges, because she failed to act "traumatized" enough. From the Oregonian:
After a day-and-a-half trial, Municipal Judge Peter A. Ackerman on Friday convicted the woman of filing a false police report, a class-C misdemeanor. Ackerman explained his decision, saying there were many inconsistencies in the stories of the four, but that he found the young men to be more credible. He also said he relied on the testimony of a Beaverton police detective and the woman's friends who said she did not act traumatized in the days following the incident.
That's appalling.
The Judge seems to believe that there is a typical way in which all rape victims act, and that if a woman fails to act that way, she must be lying. But that's nonsense. There is no "rape victim script" that every rape victim follows. Essentially, this woman has been convicted of a crime for failing match the judge's stereotype of what "legitimate" female victims act like.
Judge Ackerman has sent a message to rape victims in Oregon: If the judge doesn't think you're weepy enough, emotive enough, hysterical enough, whatever enough, then he might just convict you of a crime. There's every reason to think an asinine ruling like this will deter rape victims from reporting rape to the police.
An Oregon woman who says she was gang-raped by three men, has been convicted of filing false rape charges, because she failed to act "traumatized" enough. From the Oregonian:
After a day-and-a-half trial, Municipal Judge Peter A. Ackerman on Friday convicted the woman of filing a false police report, a class-C misdemeanor. Ackerman explained his decision, saying there were many inconsistencies in the stories of the four, but that he found the young men to be more credible. He also said he relied on the testimony of a Beaverton police detective and the woman's friends who said she did not act traumatized in the days following the incident.
That's appalling.
The Judge seems to believe that there is a typical way in which all rape victims act, and that if a woman fails to act that way, she must be lying. But that's nonsense. There is no "rape victim script" that every rape victim follows. Essentially, this woman has been convicted of a crime for failing match the judge's stereotype of what "legitimate" female victims act like.
Judge Ackerman has sent a message to rape victims in Oregon: If the judge doesn't think you're weepy enough, emotive enough, hysterical enough, whatever enough, then he might just convict you of a crime. There's every reason to think an asinine ruling like this will deter rape victims from reporting rape to the police.
posted by Contact at 12:01 PM
7 Comments:
This is the only place I've seen anyone talk about this case. The day it appeared in the Oregonian, I posted on Indymedia/PDX asking for info and how to get involved, assuming that women would be mobilizing. What if that women were you - what if it were any of us? I also can not stand this word 'alleged', why don't we just say what the Justice System alreday says about us: guilty until proven innocent. Men rape women every day in theis coountry. We have one of the highest rape rates in the West. Maybe even in the world. And most go un-reported. If you are doubtful of this woman, read Inga Muscio's Cunt, and look up rape statistics in this country. I felt safer, as a woman, walkinf the streets of Rio de Janeiro, where I lived for 8 years recently, than I do in most US cities at night, including Eugene, Oregon.
Ariel, I love your work!
the father of my daughter was physically and sexually abusive. I left when I was pregnant. I was fine while I was pregnant, but after Hope was born I started having nightmares and flashbacks. After a suicide attempt I was diagnosed with PostTraumatic Stress Disorder. My therapist said that is often takes some time for symptoms to manifest. I have now completed several years of therapy and do not suffer from the constant nightmares and flashbacks.
there isn't enough information to know what is going on in the case.
the fact that some victims take a long time for symptoms of PTSD to surface, some victims never suffer PTSD, and some victims exhibit signs of trauma immediately has NOTHING to do with the victim's ability to clearly articulate a credible account of the experience. whether or not someone is "acting the part" of a rape victim, he or she should still be able to recount the facts as they remember them.
it appears that maybe the woman in Beaverton was not able to do this. the fact that she also did not exhibit any signs of trauma was simply one more factor within the entire context of the case.
again, not enough facts to make a determination about what this case is really about.
To Anonymous:
you said--"Men rape women every day in theis coountry. We have one of the highest rape rates in the West. Maybe even in the world. And most go un-reported. If you are doubtful of this woman, read Inga Muscio's Cunt, and look up rape statistics in this country."
rape is not a gender specific societal problem.
taking your suggestion, i did look up rape statistics. yes, men commit more sexual assaults generally than women, especially among adult victims.
i was, however, shocked, to learn that 20% of all sexual assaults on children are perpetrated by women.
it's not fair to couch this issue in terms of men vs. women. both males and females are the victims of sexual assaults perpetrated by both men and women.
it is a FACT that women are responsible for a large percentage of cases where children are sexually exploited. please don't paint yourself, me and all of us as "victims" because of our gender.
sexual exploitation is a problem of the human condition. men and women both abuse power over weaker individuals. everyone (both men and women) deserve to be outraged, but one gender cannot be held accountable to the other. it's nonsense.
I wish that ra0pe and violence were 'merely a part of the human condition'. Then they'd be easier for us to accept - wouldn't they? What they are is a part of the Patriarchal society we live in, in which violence against women is taught and condoned. This can bee observed at many different levels in our culture - TV shows, Hollywood movies, video games, music, slang words, literature, novels, meidicine, psychology, etc. They all influence the way we think and the way we treat other people. I know that not all rape cases are done by men to women - but the overwhelemingly large majority are. We live in a society that teaches control and pain, over and towards women, people of color, queers, trans people and many other groups. Not all men rape or assault women - obviously! - but all men have 'male privelage' in this country and in the world.
I think the first step in trying to make a change is to learn about the Patriarchy and misogyny; read, ask women, listen to women, Tyr to understand what it's like to walk in a woman's shoes in a white, male dominated world.
If most rapes are committed by men, and most of the victims are women, rape IS a gender issue. It's like breast cancer. Some men get breast cancer but the number is very small, and very few people argue against the idea that breast cancer is a women's disease. So why is there this reluctance to admit that rape is a crime largely committed against women?
Hello... I understand that the case may have recently gone back to court on appeal, Has this happened yet? If so, can you update. I met the woman in this case. Having encountered a similar situation many years back I believe her without question. Your follow up and input would be appreciated.
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