Survivor says police need better training for dealing with sexual assault
A central Alberta woman is hoping her story can help shine a light on what she feels are deficiencies within the RCMP when it comes to assisting victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
“Rosa,” which is not her real name, says her purse was stolen from the trunk of her car while parked at River Bend Golf and Recreation Area on Sept. 1. Inside it was a protection order detailing intimate information about two assaults she endured in summer 2019, as well as violence from the five years prior. She carried it, as many victims of assaults do, in case it’s necessary to prove such an order is in place.
“The person who stole my purse didn’t just steal items, they stole what little sense of security I had left,” Rosa tells rdnewsNOW. “They have my name, my home and work address, my keys, everything.”
Rosa attended the Red Deer RCMP detachment to report the theft and told front counter staff of the protection order and her history of trauma.