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“It seemed so insignificant"

Survivor says police need better training for dealing with sexual assault

Oct 5, 2020 | 3:03 PM

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.

“It seemed so insignificant to the counter staff,” she recalls. “I wasn’t even able to speak directly to a constable or at least make a formal statement.”

This trend continued days later, she says, despite providing evidence of cheque fraud with a potential suspect’s name and her forged signature.

“The lack of any concern for how this was impacting me was extremely frustrating and disheartening. I don’t think anyone realizes how it feels to have a Queen’s Bench order of protection with particulars of how you’ve been sexually and otherwise assaulted and abused stolen from you. It seemed unimportant.”

Rosa says the alleged assaults in 2019 took place at the hands of her ex-spouse, who she remains legally married to at this time.

She went to hospital to obtain a forensic kit (rape kit) and says she was given a week to complete it, but only if she wanted to.

Upon returning a few days later after deciding to do the kit, an RCMP officer was called in to initiate the reporting process. It was then Rosa says the officer told her the kit was not necessary.

“It was his opinion it had no evidentiary value because the person in question was my spouse. But the specially trained sexual assault nurse told me things can be found up to seven days later.

“I feel it is a fundamental betrayal not only as a sexual assault survivor to be told I was not allowed to proceed with the kit, but also it was an incredibly deep betrayal of public trust that the RCMP would refuse this,” Rosa laments.

“It took a lot of courage to go to the hospital and say what I was there for. This officer was the epitome of everything a person is afraid they’re going to get when reporting an assault. He was insensitive. I felt interrogated, and like he didn’t believe anything I was saying.”

Rosa believes there are good RCMP officers, but in this particular case the impact of the member’s actions are “incalculable.”

“He caused further trauma,” she says.

Charity Hamm, a counsellor at Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre (CASASC) familiar with Rosa’s story, says if an individual has the bravery to go through with a kit, let them.

“Denying an individual that part of the process is re-victimizing and takes whatever power and control that person had left,” Hamm says. “RCMP officers are fact-finders, not trained counsellors. I can only imagine the difficulty some members may face if they don’t have the proper tools and skills to help survivors, and that is why we are here. We are assets to law enforcement and encourage them to utilize us whenever possible.”

Hamm believes trauma-informed care, an approach that assumes an individual is more likely than not to have a history of trauma, is a key area police must focus on when ensuring they are supportive as possible when working with survivors.

“Our agency would be thrilled to provide any information and training to the RCMP or any other agency working with survivors. This could be done every six months to ensure current information is provided to all members,” she says. “This type of opportunity would also allow our agency to build stronger connections with law enforcement, which ultimately benefits survivors.”

CASASC collaborates with RCMP on a supportive reporting program and a ‘Third option’ program that allows sexual assault survivors to have evidence collected by trained nurses who then store it up to one year, and until the victim is ready to report to police. ‘Supportive reporting’ allows survivors of historical assaults that went unreported to arrange a meeting with CASASC and a plain-clothed officer to discuss options for reporting the crime.

Rosa says she asked about that option but was told it wasn’t suitable to her situation. She wholeheartedly disagrees.

Red Deer RCMP tell rdnewsNOW they cannot comment on the file involving Rosa’s purse, her dealings with front counter staff or the officer at the hospital in 2019. They do say they are continually analyzing the needs of the community and how to use new tools to help victims.

“One of our top priorities is to provide a high level of service and responsiveness,” says S.Sgt Marlene Brown. “As such, the Red Deer RCMP take complaints very seriously. The Red Deer RCMP has an internal mechanism dedicated to reviewing and addressing complaints received by the detachment.”

Red Deer RCMP launched a new Sex Crimes Unit this summer, and has had a Domestic Violence Unit since 2003.

Rosa says she received a call from RCMP following rdnewsNOW’s enquiries, and was given an apology.

“I appreciate the call and the apology for how things were handled, but it certainly doesn’t undo the harm. I’m sure I’m not the only person this has happened to,” says Rosa.

“It definitely doesn’t erase the message that was sent, which was that my experience didn’t matter, and that what happened was not worth fully pursuing.”