Rape Victim Thanks Darren Chaker for Help

Unfortunately, rape is a violent offense that is often unreported. Darren Chaker was contacted by a friend in San Diego, California who said she was raped. Scared and intimidated, the female feared she would not be believed, and did not know what to do. Eventually, Darren Chaker was able to obtain a taped statement from the person, assisted the victim to retain evidence, and contact police. The female came forward and police conducted its investigation. Multiple studies find rape goes unreported,

• A 2014 Department of Justice (DOJ) study discovered only 20 percent of female students, age 18-24 who experienced sexual violence, report to law enforcement.
• The Association of American Universities (AAU) found in their campus climate survey that, “Overall rates of reporting to campus officials and law enforcement or others were low, ranging from five percent to 28 percent, depending on the specific type of behavior.”
• The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) estimates that 95 percent of U.S. campus rapes go unreported.

Another article explains common reasons for rape going unreported, “When women discuss how they didn’t report their sexual assault, they are often subjected to shame and chastised for “not stopping him before he can do it again,” forcing them to defend their decision. But we forget one of the reasons why this choice is so common; why 63% of sexual assaults are not reported to police.” The article continues, “Most victims are imperfect victims in some way. Whether they wore a short dress, had a lot of male friends, or went to the “wrong party,” we have made much of reporting without discussing how hard reporting can be on the victim. We skim right over what it means to report and then realize you aren’t safe in the small town where you live, where your assailant not only knows you, but where you also have no support. We don’t talk about the process of obtaining a rape kit, or the likelihood of being charged for the cost of an invasive physical exam that occurs immediately after you have been abused physically. We don’t talk about what trauma does to memory, or how many victims are penalized for being “unreliable” as though dissociation and PTSD aren’t factors.”

Cosmopolitan reports, “College women are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than the rest of the population, yet 95.2% of rapes on campus will never be reported, according to the Department of Justice. The National College Women Sexual Victimization study, which surveyed 4,446 women, found that many survivors don’t want to believe that something as horrible as rape could have happened to them, so they deny that it was rape. Others are afraid they’ll be ostracized by their friends if they accuse a fellow student.”

Vice News, recently reported about rape often being an unreported crime,

“According to Jennifer Marsh, the vice president of victim services at the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), victims of domestic or sexual assault often perceive several barriers to reporting violence or assisting with police investigations. And, when the alleged assailant is a public figure, these barriers can feel even more insurmountable. “Perpetrators are incredibly adept at figuring out what barriers may be effective in preventing a victim from reporting or following up or assisting law enforcement during the investigation,” she told Broadly. “There are obviously perpetrators who say, ‘Nobody’s going to believe you. You’re a nobody. Look at me: I’m well respected, I’m talented, I have all these people who will say that I’m a terrific person. Who’s going to believe you?'”

Reports indicate that the NFL has tried to cover up domestic violence allegations in the past, although they have since dedicated new resources to addressing the issue. In 2014, former NFL executive Jerry Angelo told USA Today that teams did not discipline players in “hundreds and hundreds” of domestic violence incidents. A month later, the New York Times published an investigation showing that some NFL teams discouraged players’ wives from reporting abuse to the police. In addition, the public tends to treat survivors of domestic or sexual violence with suspicion at best and outright hostility at worst. “The sports leagues may be trying with great intentions to change the culture of their organizations, but they’re not operating in a bubble,” said Marsh. “There are fans; there are people who may continue to not understand the dynamics of assault and abuse and blame the victim very publicly.”

Thankfully, Darren Chaker was able to make sure his friend’s rape did not go unreported.