A sexual assault survivor who got justice in court has described the gruelling experience of navigating the legal system to explain one of the reasons so many rapes in the US go unreported.
Madison, a NowThis producer, shared her story in a video on International Women’s Day, in which she explains that it took nearly four years before her rapist was found guilty and sentenced to jail.
During this time, Madison documented the various setbacks, delays, and disappointments she faced as she put her faith in the legal system.
According to Madison, who was sexually assaulted in Los Angeles in 2014, the process began when she reported her rape to police and completed a rape kit, an hours-long exam that gathers DNA evidence.
She decided to report the rape, unlike the majority of women who are raped in the US, because she “couldn’t stand the thought” of her assailant doing the same thing to another woman.
At the time, Madison recalls how she thought that reporting the rape, submitting the rape kit, and having video evidence would be enough for people to believe her - but that it wasn’t.
She said she soon realised: “The justice system isn’t set up to protect survivors.”
As her case progressed through the courts, Madison had to become her own advocate - as she was assigned four different public prosecutors over the course of the trial.
To get to the end of the case, Madison had to face the man who raped her, and answer questions about the videos he’d taken of the act - including whether it was “consensual” - in front of a room of strangers.
According to Madison, the “trial ended up being one of the most destructive parts of this entire process.”
Madison’s rapist was eventually found guilty of two felony charges and sentenced to up to six years in federal prison, in addition to having to register as a sex offender for life.
But despite the case being seen as “a victory in the eyes of our legal system,” it is also not common - as 78 per cent of rapes are not reported, and “fewer than five perpetrators” for every 1,000 people raped in the US are put behind bars.
According to Madison, she shared her own experience because she doesn’t want her experience to be “everyone’s experience”.
“We need to change the way these cases are processed and the way all survivors are handled,” she said.
If you've been affected by this story, you can contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline by calling 0808 802 9999. The helpline is open from 12pm-2.30pm and 7pm-9.30pm daily. In the US, you can contact RAINN, the national sexual assault hotline at 800.656.HOPE or through the website.
