Rape victim letter goes viral: a look at sexual assault in Missouri

Over the weekend, a powerful letter written by a sexual assault victim went viral.

The victim read the letter to her attacker, Brock Turner, at his sentencing Thursday. The former Stanford swimmer was sentenced to just six months in county jail and probation after being found guilty of three counts of sexual assault.

While the case took place in California, rape is also a big issue right here in Mid-Missouri.

In fact, in 2015 alone, there were almost 2500 rapes in our state–and that’s by far the highest number when compared to the past five years.

On the University of Missouri campus, the numbers paint a different picture. They have been relatively stagnant over the past five years, but there’s certainly no downward trend.

The startling statistics beg the question: are we taking the issue of rape serious enough in our own state?

At the University of Missouri, there are a number of resources given to students, including the annual fire safety and security report.

“The vast majority of rapes that happen on campus are acquaintances, so we do a lot of education on alcohol awareness and going places in pairs to make sure that you’re not alone so that everybody gets home safe,” Major Brian Weimer with the MU Police Department tells ABC 17 News.

When it comes to taking legal action, that part is up to the victim, but Maureen Qualheim, an advocate for the Rape and Crisis Service center in Jefferson City, says it’s cases like the Stanford swimmer that keep victims from coming forward.

“This is exactly why so many survivors do not want to report these incidents to law enforcement and go through that process just because things like this can happen.,” Qualheim says.

Major Weimer encourages all victims to report a sexual assault, even if he or she does not want to move forward with the criminal process.

Rape is one of the most under-reported crimes not only in our state, but also in the United States. According to RAINN, for every rape, there are at least two that are not reported.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, contact the Rape and Abuse Crisis Service in Jefferson City.