Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town

by Jon Krakauer

Although Kirsten Pabst took considerable time from her busy schedule to appear before the University Court on behalf of Calvin Smith, she never bothered to speak to Kaitlynn Kelly, in violation of a Montana law*3 that requires prosecutors to consult with rape victims. Nor, apparently, did Pabst take the time to listen to the recording of Detective Brueckner’s interview with Kelly, because a number of Pabst’s assertions about what Kelly did or didn’t say to Brueckner are just plain wrong.

When cops and prosecutors fail to aggressively pursue sexual-assault cases, Kevin argued, it

message to sexual predators that women are fair game and can be raped with impunity.

Rape is the most underreported serious crime in the nation. Carefully conducted studies consistently indicate that at least 80 percent of rapes are never disclosed to law enforcement agencies.

least partly because women aren’t wired to react that way. We are socialized to be likeable and not to create friction. We are brought up to be nice. Women are supposed to resolve problems without making a scene—to make bad things go away as if they never happened.”

don’t think protecting women from rape or sexual harassment,” he said, “is an overreach of federal government.”

over the past year [regarding the slandering of Allison] has nothing to do with Beau, or instigated by Beau, or instigated by me or my wife or my family. I mean, when it happens, what’s involved again? Alcohol. That’s when we hate each other, is when we drink.

Really!? Just blame the booze and not the perpetrator.

“This is one of those cases that’s unusually difficult because a good person committed a tragic and very serious

criminal activity that wounded a young lady,” Datsopoulos offered. “And she’s…going to continue to need assistance and time to try to heal and get on with her life. I’m not trying to diminish that….

shame, the humiliation, the destruction of a reputation….All

Wow shame is not a punishment it is a consequence of actions.

That victims often deny or minimize what they’ve been through. That victims try to make everything appear normal after a rape. That self-blame is common, and while the event is occurring, in the presence of the perceived threat, that victims often freeze.”

Let’s stop calling them victims and call them survivors.

prosecuted only 12 percent of the sexual-assault cases involving adult women referred to it by the Missoula Police Department.

“studied the Bible with Johnson”

Studying the Bible doesn’t mean you can’t be a rapist! Look at catholic priests.

Some days I have to convince myself it is even worth it. I don’t get to go to a review board and ask them to reduce the life sentence he has forced on me. There is a reason why people say that rape is the worst crime a person can survive.”

But by speaking out, they are likely to encourage other victims to tell their stories, too, and may find that they’ve advanced their own recovery in the bargain. As more and more survivors emerge from the shadows and reveal the pervasiveness of sexual assault, they draw strength from their numbers. This collective fortitude touches all victims, even those too fearful to speak for themselves, by eradicating the undeserved sense of shame that is so often borne in isolation.