Rape

Four Austin Women Reported Their Sexual Assaults. But Police And Prosecutors Failed To Hold The Perpetrators Accountable.

While a debate over defunding the police rages in Austin, a new lawsuit reminds its residents that assault cases in the city are routinely ignored.

Jerry Iannelli

How COVID-19 Is Affecting Assault Survivors Seeking Care

In New York, fewer people who have experienced sexual assault or rape have sought forensic exams at hospitals during the pandemic. But advocates suggest that’s not evidence of declining sexual violence.

Aviva Stahl

The Appeal Podcast: Locking Up Women For Killing Their Rapists

With Appeal staff reporter Lauren Gill.

‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist

Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution.

Lauren Gill

Internal Affairs Investigators Raid NYPD’s Special Victims Division for Third Time

Logbooks were seized as part of an inquiry into misconduct allegations against high-ranking officers in the division that investigates sex crimes.

Meg O'Connor

Can A Prosecutor Be Progressive And Take Sex Crimes Seriously?

The rise of progressive prosecutors and the #MeToo movement has meant an increased focus on sexual assault. But justice cannot be measured in more prosecution or long sentences.

Marissa Hoechstetter

Manhattan D.A. Suggests He Nudged The Governor To Fix A Loophole In New York Rape Law. It’s A Bit More Complicated.

Cyrus Vance says he sent Governor Cuomo a letter about the issue in April 2018; Cuomo's office says it never got it. In the intervening months, critics say Vance's messaging on the issue discouraged survivors of rape from coming forward.

Meg O'Connor

Freeing People As A Response To Prison Rape

Vaidya Gullapalli

Sexual Assault Survivors Who Want Restorative Justice Have Limited Options

Alternative approaches to rehabilitation and healing still face resistance, even though the criminal legal system’s reliance on punishment has done little to move the needle on addressing sexual violence.

Tyler Kingkade

Austin Prosecutor Accused Of Perpetuating Lies About Sexual Assault Victim

District Attorney Margaret Moore continues to face accusations that her office mishandles the prosecution of sex crimes.

Kira Lerner

People Behind the Girls Do Porn Website Were Just Charged With Sex Trafficking. But Complaints Were Filed About Them Years Ago.

At least three women made police reports about Girls Do Porn in 2015, but recruiters continued to exploit women until the FBI stepped in last month.

Meg O'Connor

Police Chief Sued Over Handling of Violent Rape Case

A federal lawsuit claims that Asheville, North Carolina's interim chief, Robert C. White, prevented a rape victim from filing a complaint against an officer when he led the Louisville, Kentucky, department.

Meg O'Connor

The Media Frenzy Over Chanel Miller Boosts Mass Incarceration

Miller's victim impact statement was centered in a recent '60 Minutes' segment on the Brock Turner case. But such statements do not heal victims, and Miller's unfavorable comparison of Turner's sentence to drug offenders only reinforces carceral logic.

Meaghan Ybos

Rape Survivor Petitions Supreme Court Over How Police Handled Her Case

Heather Marlowe, now an activist, says neglected kits are a reflection of who and what police prioritize.

Raven Rakia

I Was Sexually Assaulted. And I Believe Incarcerating Rapists Doesn’t Help Victims Like Me.

The carceral system fails to heal victims and perpetuates trauma by caging human beings. It‘s time to try something else.

Stefanie Mundhenk

In A North Florida County, Prosecutors Drop Nearly 50 Percent of Sexual Battery Cases

Over a three-year period, Alachua County prosecutors closed 236 sexual battery cases: 115 were dropped, 92 were offered plea deals, and seven went to trial.

Molly Minta

The Carceral Feminism Of Linda Fairstein

A nearly 30-year-old New York Times Magazine profile of the infamous prosecutor may reveal as much about Linda Fairstein as Ava DuVernay‘s acclaimed new Netflix series.

Meaghan Ybos

An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex.

Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty.

Lauren Gill

The Appeal Podcast: NYPD-SVU’s Low Clearance Rate for Sexual Assault

With Appeal contributor Meg O’Connor

Adam H. Johnson

‘It Was Almost Worse Than The Incident Itself’

New NYPD data show that in 2018 the department closed nearly 500 rape cases due to an alleged lack of participation from victims and had a declining clearance rate for rape, raising questions over its handling of sexual assault.

Meg O'Connor