Recommendation

1.
On the bridge
2.
The Chasers
3.
Ordinary life
4.
Violent Alchemy
5.
A fight you can't win
6.
White, blue eyes, gray sweatshirt
7.
sisters
8.
“There was something strange about the way he spoke and his tone.”
9.
Inner Shadow
10.
good neighbor
11.
Special misdemeanor
12.
Traces
13.
Looking into the fish tank
14.
A check for $500
15.
327 years and 6 months
Epilogue.
18-wheeler truck

Author's Note
map
main
Acknowledgements

Expose misogynistic sexual assault investigation practices

In August 2008, Marie, an 18-year-old woman living alone in a rented apartment in Seattle, Washington, reported being raped by an intruder.
The police immediately launched an investigation.
However, a week later, Marie retracted her statement, saying the rape report was false.
Eventually, Marie was charged with false reporting and fined.

It was only after about three years, when the real culprit was caught in another area, that Marie's rape report was proven true.
Marie was a victim of flawed sexual assault investigation practices.
The police, unaware of the specific nature of sexual assault crimes at the time of the incident, force the victim to make multiple statements.
I was suspicious of minor contradictions in repeated statements.
Additionally, the victim was questioned as if he were being interrogated, relying on unsupported statements.
Eventually, the young girl was so frightened by the police's words that bordered on threats that she changed her statement.

This kind of thing is not at all uncommon.
Sexual assault is the only crime in which the victim is suspected of lying.
The moment you say you've been sexually assaulted, everyone involved, from the investigative authorities to those around you, begins to doubt your words at least once.
Sexual assault is the most underreported violent crime.
That's why sexual violence has long been called a "victimless crime."
Even if the victim reports it, it is extremely rare for it to go as far as filing a criminal case.
Even if it goes to trial, the victim must endure doubts and skepticism that follow them throughout the entire prosecution process.
You have to reveal the details of your sexual assault in a courtroom full of strangers, and you have to testify while looking at the perpetrator sitting not far from you.


"Unbelievable Rape Stories" starkly illustrates how skeptical and hostile investigative and judicial authorities can be toward victims of sexual violence in a society rife with misogynistic beliefs, such as the belief that "women routinely lie about being raped."
And it also tells us how long its history is.
Journalist T.
Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong reconstruct the events based on extensive written sources and interviews to give readers the full story.


Although this book is based on events that occurred in the United States, it also has many implications for Korean society.
The authors say that in this book, they “wanted to trace the history of suspicion that rape victims often face” and “explore the biases and assumptions that lead detectives into flawed investigations.”
Since 2016, voices have been raised in Korea reporting experiences of sexual violence, including the hashtag movement “Sexual Violence in ○○ Group” and the case of Governor Ahn Hee-jung.
But soon, suspicion and skepticism toward the victim followed, and secondary harm followed.
This system of suspicion is also operating in an elaborate manner in investigative agencies and courts.
In 2014, a female KBS contract employee filed a lawsuit after being sexually harassed by a male full-time employee at a company dinner.
However, the prosecution decided not to indict due to ‘insufficient evidence.’
The victim was immediately countersued by the other party for false accusation.
The fight, which began in 2016, finally ended in July 2019 with the Supreme Court ruling that "workplace sexual harassment was acknowledged" and that the defendant was not guilty.
In this way, victims suffer from the burden of strict ‘proof’ and the standard of ‘victimhood,’ and even risk being charged with false accusation.


Fortunately, as the overall sexual awareness in Korean society has increased, discussions about the "victimhood" and "secondary harm" that have oppressed victims in sexual assault cases are becoming more active.
There is a strong demand for improved attitudes from investigative agencies, judicial authorities, and the media when dealing with sexual violence cases.
In this situation, this book has great implications for Korean society as well.


Two female detectives collaborate on a case of serial rapist.

In "Unbelievable Rape Stories," a case that can be considered a model for solving sexual assault cases appears: the investigation of two female detectives that revealed Marie's innocence.
The man who raped Marie was a serial rapist who had committed crimes in Colorado as well as Washington state.
He committed a series of crimes while cleverly evading the police's investigation net.
Colorado State Police conducted an active and cooperative investigation based on principles, and eventually arrested the perpetrator and uncovered his past crimes.


At the center of it all were two female detectives, Galbraith and Hendershot.
They had expertise in sex crime cases.
He fully understood the 'post-traumatic stress disorder' that can occur in victims of sexual crimes, and did not fall into the trap of 'victimhood' that police officers usually fall into.
They also had their own investigative principles.
Galbraith adhered to the principle of listening first and foremost, without blindly believing or doubting the victim's words.
Hendershot's rule in sexual assault investigations was that "conclusive" evidence must be obtained before a charge can be deemed false.
They listened to the victim's words based on principle and did not hastily conclude that the case was false unless the core of the case had changed.

The two female detectives were also active in joint investigations.
Police officers often tend not to share incidents that occur in their jurisdiction with other police departments.
However, they did not hesitate to share information with each other because they had a clear goal of uncovering the truth about the incident and arresting the culprit.
And the information shared was thoroughly investigated.
We sought help from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and actively utilized our network of law enforcement analysts.
As a result, with just one small clue, they were able to catch the perpetrator who had been committing rapes for several years.

A compelling story, solidly crafted reportage.

"The Unbelievable Rape Story" is also an excellent piece of investigative reporting.
Convey only the facts in a dry and concise style, maintaining an objective tone that is free from emotions.
The power of this objective and cool-headed narrative, which delves into the truth of the incident to the end, is powerful.
It draws readers in with the same captivating power as a mystery novel.
Furthermore, the accusations against the sexual violence crime investigation system through meticulous reporting and extensive data research are merciless, and the voices calling for justice are powerful.
It is a truly outstanding reportage and a model of non-fiction writing, a true “triumph of investigative journalism.”
"An Unbelievable Story of Rape," which was published in ProPublica in December 2015 and is the basis for this book, won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize.

The authors have made every effort to maintain journalistic objectivity while covering the sensitive crime of rape.
When depicting sexual violence, we try to avoid revealing unnecessary details as much as possible and focus solely on conveying the fear the rapist inflicts on the victims.
We also took great care in using terminology to reflect the victims' opinions.
We sought advice from many women, including victims, and experts in the field of sexual violence to reduce the risk of depicting the incident.
The result is a reportage that is extremely careful, yet cool-headed and balanced.