Rape Victim Jailed

By TChris, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 03:20:29 PM EST
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This is how the Tampa police treated a woman who reported being raped.

Polife officers helping the 21-year-old woman search for her attacker jailed her after finding that she failed to pay back money she owed after a 2003 theft arrest. A jail worker later refused to give her a second dose of a morning-after pill to prevent pregnancy because of religious convictions, said Vic Moore, the college student's attorney.

Moral: don't report a rape if you've ever failed to pay a court obligation. Second moral: if the jailer won't let you take your emergency contraception, call the press.

[T]he woman was allowed to take the second emergency contraceptive pill Monday afternoon, a day late, and then only after reporters started calling police and jail officials. Authorities then arranged a special emergency bond hearing on Monday afternoon.

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Rape Victim Jailed | 8 comments (8 topical)

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Atrocious (none / 0) (#1)
by glanton on Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 03:35:42 PM EST

behavior by the Tampa authorities across the board. No question.

The subplot about the jailor whose "religious convictions" sheilded him from giving her the morning after pill reinforces an argument I have made often. Make the pill over the counter. Its availability in grocery and convenience stores would leave wingnut pharmacists (and jailors) free of criticism in their refusal to sell it.

What the hell were the police doing (none / 0) (#2)
by Edger on Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 03:51:06 PM EST

"running" her anyway? Isn't their first obligation to get her to a hospital?

And as far as the wingnut jailer whose "religious convictions" re the treatment of others seems to end at birth... it might have been a good idea if his mother had been offered the morning after pill.

Idiocy...

: It's God's plan! (none / 0) (#4)
by scarshapedstar on Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 04:57:05 PM EST

If there are people in this country -- people in positions of power, however small -- who believe that each and every rape is micromanaged by a Higher Power...
...it's all over but the crying.

Call the press? (none / 0) (#3)
by Che's Lounge on Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 04:11:29 PM EST

Where do you think you are? A country with individual rights? Like I'm going to waste my ONE phone call (if they even deign to give me that) calling some faux journalist on a chance they'll even be listening. Maybe I'm not aware of some special hotline for wrongfully accused people to call, but there are many, many people out there who are in trouble and do not have the verbal skills that you do to clearly describe their situation to a skeptical operator at the local newspaper or TV station. JMHO, but I would not advise people to waste the phone call.

If they get one.

Clarification (none / 0) (#5)
by Patrick on Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 05:04:06 PM EST

Moral: don't report a rape if you've ever failed to pay a court obligation.

Not that I'm condoning the issue, but I imagine there was a warrant which is a judical order to arrest the person named on it. They certainly could have handled it differently, unless there were some circumstance that we don't know about because they weren't reported.

Like I'm going to waste my ONE phone call (if they even deign to give me that) calling some faux journalist on a chance they'll even be listening.

I can't speak for where you live, but IIRC correctly it is California. People being arrested in this state have the ability to make as many phone calls as they can....As long as the receiving party accepts the charges. Of course there are probably exceptions to this as I'm sure anyone inclined to argue will point out, but this is the general rule.

What? (none / 0) (#6)
by Al on Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 05:22:32 PM EST

A jail worker later refused to give her a second dose of a morning-after pill to prevent pregnancy because of religious convictions, said Vic Moore, the college student's attorney.

Something should be done about the Taliban who insist on imposing their "religion" on other people. For starters, if the woman became pregnant as a result of being prevented from getting her pill, I think this fool should be responsible for child support until the kid's 18th. birthday.

as i understand it, from additional (none / 0) (#7)
by cpinva on Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 09:50:39 AM EST

news stories, the "jailor" who allegedly refused to supply the "morning after" pill is a woman, not a man. further, her atty. claims that nothing of the sort happened; religion wasn't an issue, prison policy was. she has only been employed there for six months, and now fears losing her job, because she's being lied about.

obviously, this sounds almost kafkaesque, and the supervisor of the police avers that policy dictates the correct handling of claimed sexual assault victims, who themselves have issues. according to this individual, the officers in question violated standing policy & procedure.

unfortunately, this is the "cliff's notes" version. i'll wait for the movie.

: The supervisor of the police (none / 0) (#8)
by Edger on Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 08:18:32 PM EST

says the officers in question violated standing policy & procedure?
And who is conducting an investigation into the alleging by the supervisor, or into the supervisors supervisory skills? The supervisor? An internal affairs officer? Or will that part be skipped in the interest of just investigating the allegationees?
Somebody's gotta pay... isn't that how these things usually work out? The lower down the totem pole the more expendable?