Did colleges and universities overreact to the sexual assault crisis on campuses across the nation? According to student defense attorney Shanlon Wu, a former prosecutor who used to prosecute sexual assault cases, it’s more of an “overcorrection” that eliminates a lot of protections for the accused that they would usually get in a court of law. Wu shared his thoughts in an opinion piece for The Washington Post. “I know firsthand that prosecutors and police both consider sexual assault investigations to be among the most difficult cases to investigate and prosecute," Wu wrote. Wu explained that police and prosecutors are wary when it comes to sexual assault cases involving college students, particularly because there’s often alcohol involved with one or both parties to the case. If alcohol was a factor, the victim could be rendered an ineffective witness, which could significantly weaken the case. When colleges and universities responded to…
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The U.S. Justice Department released a 167-page bombshell of a report August 10 on the Baltimore Police Department. Although the report was released in response to the controversy surrounding the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody, buried at the bottom of the report was a disturbing find: Officers with the Baltimore Police Department often mishandle or dismiss sexual assault complaints. According to the Justice Department’s findings, detectives frequently neglected to interview suspects or send DNA for analysis. In a four-year period between 2010 and 2014, just 15 percent of adult sexual assault rape kits were tested. Even more troubling is that the “gender bias” of police officers was a major factor in officers choosing not to properly investigate sexual assaults. Officers are accused of asking women questions like, “Why are you messing up that guy’s life?” In 2015, 17 percent of sexual assault reports concluded with an arrest.…
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