On May 23rd, Netflix aired Victim/Suspect, a documentary by investigative reporter Rae de Leon. Leon claims to have spent four years investigating a pattern of offenses perpetrated against rape victims by the law enforcement officers assigned to the cases. The documentary is skewed… another attempt to use the horrific nature of rape to get rich by twisting the truth. Most of Victim/Suspect was filmed in Alabama and Mississippi… two states that have been ever so slowly creeping their way out of the Dark Ages where crimes against women are concerned. Perhaps in those states, rape is not taken seriously, but that would be the exception not the rule.
Note: If you want an accurate depiction of rape in the south, read At the Dark End of the Street by Danielle L. McGuire. The story reinterprets the history of America’s civil rights movement in terms of the sexual violence committed against black women by white men. Rosa Parks plays a significant role in both the story and the history of the South.
With the airing of Victim/Suspect, women will once again be forced into the shadows by stories that have little to do with reality. Are there ignoramuses in law enforcement? Of course. There are ignoramuses in every walk of life. Are they in the majority? No! As the survivor of spousal rape and abuse... as the mother of a rape survivor... I can say emphatically that instances like those portrayed in this trailer are few and far between. The reason why the police sometimes question the circumstances surrounding rape allegations is because false rape allegations are becoming more prevalent (the MeToo movement is full of them) and, when proven, they undermine all the accomplishments that have been made in the area of women related crimes.
Until we better educate society – until we remove the stigma of shame associated with rape – women and men (yes, Mentoo) brutalized by this crime will remain shivering in the shadows. Cultural norms dictate that rape victims’ identities be hidden from the public. Why? We did not do anything wrong. We are not… should not be ashamed. The men and women who survive rape should be lauded in the press. Those who are determined to bring their attackers to justice are heroes. Do you know how much courage it takes for a victim to face her/his assailant in court? More than most of us would need in a hundred lifetimes.
These brave survivors are on the front lines, fighting within the structure of the law and sending a powerful message to predators that we will not quiver in fear. Society should be obligated to applaud their efforts. We should award them medals. We should sing their praises from the rooftops and do it in voices loud enough that rapists know we are coming for them. Until we make “victim” a word to fear in the heart of every deviant, we will never reduce the incidence of rape. The same should be true for anyone who files a false rape charge. Those people are just as guilty of the crime as the actual perpetrator.
A few years ago I had a discussion with a local journalist who emphatically stated that it is not the victim’s job to de-stigmatize rape. Yes… it is! Who can do it better? It is not until we personalize any issue of value that society recognizes its legitimacy. If we do not give rape a name and a face, it becomes a crime that happens to someone else… someone nameless and faceless. It becomes a crime that happens to those women who approach me in parking lots and admit they have never gotten help. Forty years have passed in some cases and I am the first person they have told. That is a heavy burden to bear alone.
Do not buy into nonsense like this documentary. The filmmaker will get rich but it will do nothing to help women and men who have been assaulted. If you should be attacked, CALL THE POLICE. Paramedics will treat you at the scene for minor injuries. You will be taken to the hospital where you will be treated for sexually transmitted diseases that could take your life and you will be treated so that a pregnancy does not result from the assault. If your city has an Office of Victim Services (most do), an advocate will most likely meet you at the hospital. She will bring clean clothes and personal care items that will ease you through the trauma. She will stay with you while a rape kit is performed and as you give your statements to the police. If needed, the Victim’s Services office will arrange for you to see a therapist and M.D., each of whom will help get you through the days/weeks/months/years ahead. Yes... years! The trauma of rape never fades.
If by some freak of nature, you do meet an idiot police officer, LEAVE!
Here is the truth... if you call 911 at the time of the incident, you will be treated with respect. The law enforcement personnel who come to your aid will have been trained in these situations. They are good, kind, compassionate people who want to help you.
Note: Both male and female officers are specially trained to help rape victims in the immediate aftermath of the crime.
If you do watch this documentary, pay attention to the details. The creator claims she worked on it for four years and collected 160 stories of women accused of lying. Since there are on average 463,634 rapes in the U.S. every year... well, I will let the numbers do the talking.
FINAL NOTE: My daughter’s rape happened in 2007. To this day, we remain friendly with the police officers, victim’s advocates and members of the prosecutor’s office who stood at our sides for the two years it took to bring the perpetrator to justice. Every case is different. DO NOT judge the many by the few.
Donna Carbone is the Executive Director/Playwright in Residence at the Palm Beach Institute for the Entertainment Arts, where education through entertainment is the mission statement.
Please visit: pbinstituteforentertainmentarts.com