A path forward at last

The reporting of sexual violence has been one of the ugliest blights of our democracy.

- 

Research throughout the years has revealed disturbing accounts of women regularly shunned at police stations.

Victims of abuse, harassment and rape are too often confronted with obtuse bureaucrats behind the counter. These officers are either too lazy to file the necessary paperwork or refuse to take a woman’s account seriously. The more malicious among them will flip the accusation — the archaic “you shouldn't have been wearing that” refrain.

While sexual crimes predominantly affect women and children, anecdotes of men who have faced ridicule for reporting abuse are equally harrowing.