Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Get Raped--Go to Jail?

Only in a radical Islamic nation could a woman get raped, and then be put in jail, and denied a legal morning after pill on religious grounds--right?

Well folks, it can also happen in Florida.

This case is disturbing at so many levels.

TAMPA, Florida (AP) -- A college student who told police she had been raped was jailed for two days after officers found an old warrant accusing her of failing to pay restitution for a 2003 theft arrest.

While she was behind bars, a jail worker refused to give her a second dose of the morning-after contraceptive pill because of the worker's religious convictions, the college student's attorney said.

The 21-year-old woman was released Monday only after attorney Vic Moore reported her plight to the local media.

...Moore said the young woman was not allowed to take the second emergency contraceptive pill until Monday afternoon, a day late, after reporters called police and jail officials.

The police department in Tampa has said that has put in place a policy:

...that tells officers not to arrest a crime victim who has suffered injury or mental trauma whenever "reasonably possible."

And they have apologized to the woman who was raped--first by an unknown male, then by the police department.

So--the police department is sorry and really regrets what has happened to this young woman, and has put policies in place to assure this never happens again?

Actually, if you read the article, it seems that the police department is sorry and regrets the media finding out about the incident. Since nothing was done until "reporters" asked them what was going on.

Also notice in the article that:
...as she was riding in a patrol car trying to locate the crime scene in the dark, police found the warrant stemming from a 2003 juvenile arrest for grand theft and burglary. It said she owed $4,585.

"They stopped the investigation right there" and put her in handcuffs...

So, not only did they jail the victim, but also lost precious time searching for the rapist. And I thought the police department here in Indianapolis had problems.

2 comments:

Michelle said...

I've read about this elsewhere actually.. still not sure what to say about it.. grrr.

R Nicolas said...

I know what you mean--it has a way of just fogging the brain