Re: Rural Alaska Steeped in Sexual Violence


"Peter Dworkin" <peter@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:fnp232$7bk$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Forever wrote:
OFF TOPIC!



tiny dancer wrote:

Rural Alaska Steeped in Sexual Violence
By RACHEL D'ORO
Associated Press Writer

Posted: Today at 10:21 p.m.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The state has long suffered the highest sexual
assault
rate in the nation, and the problem is worst in rural areas, according
to a
report released Tuesday.

The numbers are unacceptable, troopers said at a news conference Tuesday
detailing the study.

"Each of us has a role in ending sexual violence in Alaska," said
trooper
Col. Audie Holloway. "We need to think into the future."

In nearly 1,000 cases studied over two years, the average age of victims
was
16, while the average age of those accused was 29. In four out of five
cases, the suspects were relatives, friends or acquaintances.

Overall, 89 percent of the victims were female. One out of three cases
were
reported more than a month after the abuse occurred, leaving evidence
hard
to collect.

The study, conducted by the University of Alaska Anchorage's Justice
Center,
looked at 989 sexual assault cases reported to state troopers in 2003
and
2004. Researchers did not look at cases reported in the same period to
municipal police departments, including those in Anchorage or other
urban
centers that account for 80 percent of Alaska's 670,000 residents.

Overall, 46 percent of the cases were referred for prosecution. Of those
452
cases, about half resulted in convictions.

The study is believed to represent only a fraction of abuse actually
committed in trooper jurisdiction. Still, Alaska has had the nation's
highest per capita occurrence since 1995. According to statewide figures
for
2003 and 2004 alone, there were 89 rapes per 100,000 people, almost
three
times the national average of 32 per 100,000, said Andre Rosay, the
Justice
Center's interim director.

"There are a lot of excellent programs here, so it could be reporting
rates
are higher here. We don't know, though," he said. "But even if there are
higher reporting rates, our rates far surpass those in the lower 48."

Just less than half the cases studied occurred in the troopers' immense,
sparsely populated western area known as the C Detachment. The largely
native region contains a third of the state's land mass, stretching from
Kotzebue in the north to the Aleutian Islands chain. With few
communities
connected by roads, about 50 troopers working in the region must fly to
villages to respond to crimes beyond the scope of village safety
officers.

Capt. Steve Arlow, commander of the detachment, said the numbers were
not
surprising. Sexual assaults account for the bulk of work done by
troopers,
he said.

"Our troopers are out there dealing with it every day," he said.

Michelle DeWitt, director of the Tundra Women's Coalition, said that
sexual
crimes are about power and that many in the region feel increasingly
powerless as native cultures are undermined.

The coalition runs a regional emergency shelter in Bethel, a commercial
hub
for the western region.

Another huge problem, she said, arises when the accused is known to the
victim. That dilemma is intensified for those living in tiny villages.

"When a victim knows who harmed them and they live in a small community
where everyone is related, they know that if they report that they were
harmed, then other community members will be impacted," DeWitt said.
"Knowing that someone may be removed from the community makes it very
difficult to talk about it."

http://wral.com/news/national_world/national/story/2371470/

Do you top post because you are stupid, or because you are rude? And how
is a story about sexual violence unrelated to crime?


I did a simple 'block sender' and voila, magically *it* disappeared from my
computer. :-)

I didn't realize Alaska had such a huge problem with sexual violence. Yes,
I do realize with that much territory to cover, there would be problems with
crime in general. I simply didn't realize it was that much worse than the
other states. I can't imagine how frightening and isolating it must be to
be assaulted and forced to live in close proximity to your assailant and
without any hope of there being any sort of law enforcement available at
all. Even if a victim doesn't avail herself of the services, at least you
know they are there if there are future problems. But to have no one, is
truly awful.


td


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Rural Alaska Steeped in Sexual Violence
    ... Alaska - The state has long suffered the highest sexual assault ... report released Tuesday. ... troopers said at a news conference Tuesday ... "When a victim knows who harmed them and they live in a small community ...
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  • Re: Rural Alaska Steeped in Sexual Violence
    ... Alaska - The state has long suffered the highest sexual ... report released Tuesday. ... troopers said at a news conference ... looked at 989 sexual assault cases reported to state troopers in 2003 ...
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    ... Rural Alaska Steeped in Sexual Violence ... report released Tuesday. ... troopers said at a news conference Tuesday ... "When a victim knows who harmed them and they live in a small community ...
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