Op-Ed
March 17,1994
3
Letters
To The Editor
Victims' names should remain secret,
Alamance Rape Crisis Alliance says
To The Editor:
We are writing to respond to
several concOTis that were raised
in the last issue of the Pendulum
(March 10,1994). In an effort to
confront the problem of date rape
on the Elon College campus, we
believe that you have, perhaps
unintentionally, opened a
Pandora’s Box when it comes to
victim’s rights. Rape Crisis
Alliance of Alamance County has
served as an advocate for victims
of sexual violence in our
community for over 15 years. In
that capacity, our agency has
worked on numerous cases
handled by the Elon College
Police Department. This
Department is very aware of what
a serious problem date rape is on
the Elon College campus, and we
feel that they work hard to make
prosecution possible. However, it
is the District Attorney who
makes the decision as to whether
or not a case will be prosecuted.
The task of informing the victim
of diat decision usually falls back
upon the investigating officers.
This leads some individuals to
believe that law enforcement has
a more influential role in
determining if a case will be
pursued by the State. Very few
date rape cases arc prosecutcd in
our County, regardless of the law
enforcement agency involved.
”Very few date
rape cases are pros
ecuted in our
county, regardless
of the law enforce
ment agency in-
volved.
While we would like to sec more
cases taken to trial, because the
complaints of these victims are
quite real, we also acknowledge
that they arc often difficult eases
to prove to a jury’s satisfaction.
Your “Viewpoint” editorial
asked the question “Who is
Police Chief Dan Ingle jxotecting
^, ^y, k^ping sccrct the names of
rape victims? His department or
the women involved ?” Let us
assure you that it would be much
simpler for police departments to
treat cases involving sexual
assaults just as they do other
cases. But because of the special
nature of these crimes and the
devastating effect they have on
the lives of victims, most law
enforcement agencies have
implemented special protocols for
handling these situations. These
protocols, along with the recent
law that temporarily withholds
the names of a complaining
witness, work to a victim’s
benefit and help to protect their
rights.
By way of illustration, let’s
consider how a typical assault
case might develop. In Alamance
County, a victim of rape or
sexual assault would be referred
to one of the local hospitals to
receive medical U’eatment for
injuries, sexually transmitted
diseases, possible pregnancy, and
to collect physical evidence.
When this person is admitted to
the hospital as the result of a
sexual assault, law enforcement
is notified. An officcr will speak
with the victim and fill out an
incident report This will include
the name and address of the
victim, since she/he is the
“complaining wiuiess” should the
State of North Carolina (as
represented by Disuict Attorney
Steve Balog), choose lo press
criminal charges. At this point,
the name and address of the
“complaining witness l)ecomes
public information. Note that
this is before a decision has been
made as to whether the case will
be prosecuted. No warrant has
been issued, no arrests made.
Without the new law protecting
the identity of the victim and the
cooperation of law enforcement
in withholding a victim s name,
anyone could have access to that
information.
Your paper has a policy of
not printing victims’ names; but
there are other newspapers in our
County who will happily print
any victim’s name. In teons of
physical safety, public
information of this sort can give
an attacker vital information
about a victim if he wishes to
inflict further harm or intimidate
the victim into recanting.
Withholding a name also
provides the victim with some
emotional and psychological
safety. Victims of sexual
violence deserve to be able to go
about the difficult business of
"The public’s
'right to know*
cannot supersede
the physical and
emotional well
being of its indi
vidual members.*'
putting their lives back together
without some “well meaning”
reporter confronting them about
the very thing they are trying
hardest to put behind them. Keep
in mind, if the District Attorney
chooses to prosecute a case, the
names of all parties involved
become public record at that
time. For a case to come to trial,
a victim must be prepared to
place herself/himself in the
public eye. But that is the
victim’s choice. In a sexual
assault, the assailant creates a
situation where the victim has no
choice. WE must be careful that,
in an effort to deal with the
problem, we do not revictimize
by taking away a victim’s
options. The public’s “right to
know” cannot supersede the
physical and emotional well
being of its individuals members.
Sadly, this Pandora’s Box
has far reaching consequences.
The State Attorney General’s
Office, in response to what
appears to be pressure from the
North Carolina Press
Association, has issued
instructions to law enforcement
agencies state wide that will
restrict their ability to use this
new law to protect the privacy of
HtLLARy, Oh, Give tA^ a hlA^'^
OJITH Ttf'S !
sexual assault victims in the
future. We see this as a step
backward in the fight against
sexual violence. From this
group, only 25 complaints were
filed with local law enforcement
agencies. A handful of those
cases went to court. Historically,
one of the main causes of this
low reporting pattern is victim
concern about loss of privacy. As
this whirlwind blows around law
enforcement’s procedures, and
District Attorney’s policies, and
uncooperative” victims who
won’t come forward to be
identified, what have we
forgotten? What about the sexual
offenders? They must be relishing
this great diversion. The time has
come to shift the scrutiny
experienced by victims and those
trying to serve them, to the
assailants. We must shift the
focus to those among us who
engage in, and/or condone sexual
violence. Put the “power of the
press” to work in a more
meaningful way. Confront the
social attitudes and myths that
support sexual violence, hold
individuals accountable for
behaviors that violate or degrade
other people, and acknowledge
the violence issues that are a part
of life for far too many
individuals.
Holly Lauritsen
Rape Crisis Alliance
of Atamance County.'
More about parking
To The Editor:
In your Viewpoint section of
The Pendulum dated Feb. 24,
1994. You stated that parking in
the North end of Jordan Center
was where construction workers
park. Incorrect, they park in the
South end, right behind the
Pantry. Also, those students
who claim to have gotten tickets
for parking in the North end
overflow section is because they
failed to get a valid campus
parking permit for the current
year.
J. Laurence DeBerry
All IcMtcrs arc printed
exactly as they arc
rccciveci.
Corrections:
The Pendulum strives to
report the news accurately
and will correct errors
that come to its attention.
Bloomsburg University
beat Elon, 7-0 in a
softball tournament
two weeks ago. The
Pendulum incorrectly
stated the university as
Bloomsdale College.