Finding the right resources to deal with assault

By Molly Ball

PATRICK MCGARVEY/YH Jurisdiction over sexual assault cases is shared by University Police and New Haven Policešs Sexual Assault and Bias Crimes unit.

"I would like to see more women who are victims press charges, but the police need to take [sexual assault cases] more seriously," Women's Center Co-Coordinator Rachel Deutsch, ES '99, said. "These cases are undeniably very hard to prove, but it's very difficult for a victim to come forward. For Ex Comm to dismiss a case or the police to tell a woman she has no case makes her feel more like a victim."

Ex Comm handles cases for disciplinary action within Yale College. For criminal cases, victims can choose to go to either the Yale or New Haven Police; the departments' jurisdictions overlap.

Tricia Kilpatrick, a counselor at New Haven Sexual Assault Crisis Services, believes that the city's force may be a better choice. "University police in general can be seen as a conflict of interest," she said. "They're employed by the University, and universities don't like bad publicity, especially with [sexual assault] cases. Reporting a sexual assault to the New Haven police may be more effective."

The city's police force has a five-detective unit that deals exclusively with sexual assault crimes. According to Sgt. Joanne Petersen, supervisor of the NHPD's Sex Assault and Bias Crimes Unit, "The detectives are specifically trained to deal with sexual assault. These are difficult cases to prosecute, and it's important to do a thorough investigation. Our experience with these kinds of cases helps us learn how to put them together. We know what the prosecutor's office wants." Petersen estimated that the unit handles between 300 and 400 cases every year. "Since the detectives don't work on other kinds of cases, a case won't have to wait on others--it will have the detective's full attention," she said.

The Yale Police Department's assistant chief of police, James Perrotti, insists that the campus force is just as equipped to deal with sexual assault cases. "Usually, we want [NHPD's] expertise. We communicate with them on virtually every case. But we'd probably keep the case here," Perrotti said. "If it occurred off-campus, we'd work out whether we would work on it or they would, but I can't think of any case that would stress our resources too much to take on."

Petersen concurred. "We have a good working relationship with the YPD and their detective bureau. They are now conducting their own investigations for on-campus incidents, but all their reports come over for my review," she said. "From my experience, the Yale Police have worked competently on these cases. I worked closely with them on a rape case that occurred on campus, and they handled it well."

But State's Attorney Michael Dearington believes there are limits to what the Yale Police can do. "The Yale Police either do a reasonably good job or refer the case to the New Haven Police Department," he said. "Some cases really are better done by a specialized unit. [The Yale Police] know what they can and can't handle."

Patrick's case was handled almost exclusively by the New Haven Sex Assault and Bias Crimes Unit, which Perrotti claimed was due to the fact that the alleged crime took place off-campus. "I was questioned by the New Haven Police Department. The Yale Police just took the statement," Patrick said.

There could have been another reason for the case's transfer, however. "The state prosecutor did tell me that they had reached an agreement--unwritten and private--with the Yale Police that these cases are probably better handled by the New Haven Police Department," Kilpatrick said. "They're difficult cases, they're time-consuming, and the New Haven Police have more experience with them."

Assistant State's Attorney Cecilia Wiederhold denied that such an agreement had been reached. "That's not exactly true," she said. "The Yale and New Haven Police work cooperatively; each has resources the other doesn't. It's a mischaracterization to say Yale doesn't do as good a job as New Haven."

Nonetheless, while Perrotti claims that sexual assault cases are usually processed in one week, one anonymous junior went through 13 frustrating months before finally being told she definitely did not have a case.

"The Yale Police have played the role of prosecutor instead of sending cases on, killing them before they can be evaluated when their job is just to collect information and send it to the State's Attorney," she said.

Many steps of the investigation process are unclear, and the often traumatized victim has to navigate a confusing maze of processes to be heard. "The Executive Committee automatically receives a copy [of the Yale Police report]. That's outside of the control of the person who comes forward," Patrick said. "If I had known that, I might have gone directly to the New Haven Police Department."

Other procedures are kept under wraps, too; the proceedings of the Ex Comm, made up of three undergraduates and 12 members of the faculty and Administration, are strictly confidential. This could also explain why so few cases see the light of day.

"Students claim the University is insensitive to [sexual assault] complaints, that it doesn't do anything, but the Executive Committee process is confidential and so are the grievance board and the police," Dean of Student Affairs Betty Trachtenberg explained. "This gives the impression that nothing is done, but that's not the case." In fact, even if a student is found guilty by Ex Comm and suspended, the reason for the disciplinary action will not be included on that student's Yale transcript.

At the Yale Police Department, Victims Services is handled by Detective Natalie Klotsche. "When a person becomes the victim of a crime, they feel things are out of their control. We let them make all their own choices. Victims recover at a faster rate from emotional trauma when they begin to assume control."

Resources to help victims deal with sexual assault include Yale's Consent hotline, Mental Hygiene counseling, the New Haven Sexual Assault Crisis Center, and a support group that meets at the Women's Center.

Unfortunately, the victim of a sexual assault often cannot overcome the pain until she has taken action against her assailant. "Even though it's difficult, we encourage people to report to the police," Kilpatrick said.

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