Texas is charging rape victims who cooperate with the police

[marmar]

from ThinkProgress:



Texas is charging rape victims who cooperate with the police.

CNN reports that Texas hospitals are charging women who have been raped thousands of dollars for their rape kits that are collected by police as part of their investigations. According to CNN, Texas’s crime victim compensation fund consistently has a surplus and could likely cover these expenses. Watch it: http://thinkprogress.org/2009/05/09/texas-rape-kits/


During the 2008 campaign, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) came under criticism for the fact that while serving as mayor of Wasilla, the town’s policy was to “bill victims” for their rape kits. (HT: AMERICAblog)

.....

Update: Cara at Feministe writes, "We know that this is a problem that goes beyond Texas. Numerous states reportedly charge victims, despite the fact that it violates conditions of receiving grants under VAWA. And the real rub is that governments largely get their power to charge rape victims without attention due to the rape culture that breeds shame and stigma, and therefore keeps victims quiet." Debra Dickerson at Mother Jones also has more.


http://thinkprogress.org/2009/05/09/texas-rape-kits/

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[norepubsin08]

2. Bravo!!!!!!!

[WolverineDG]

10. Go check the laws in your state

Lots of states get away with this, even the High Holy Blue ones.

dg

[enlightenment]

5. Why single them out?

Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Illinois also charge for rape kits (this based on clicking on a link in the OP article).

I'm not defending them in any way, shape or form; just pointing out that they're not the only guilty states.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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[Frustratedlady]

3. Gee, I had the impression both states were loaded with money...

Aren't they complaining about the money Obama was going to give them? Didn't want it? Did I misread something?

What was the Repug saying during the last reign? Love it or leave it?

[WolverineDG]

11. Check what happens in your state, baby

bet the same thing happens there too.

dg

[sonias]

4. Update

I'm glad you updated your post to mention that unfortunately this happens in way too many states. I think we need a federal law to ban this practice. No woman should be forced to pay for a rape kit. The police department should pay for it. It's part of collecting evidence. Would the police department charge the family of a homicide to pay for the autopsy?

Those of us in Texas know we have an absolutely abhorrent criminal justice system. So can we stop the Texas bashing on the thread and talk about the real issue which is stopping this kind of injustice anywhere.

This story will get a lot of traction and hopefully some good will come out of it. So 'it's a good thing this is getting attention.

Links to the update articles mentioned in the OP:
Texas Charges Victims for Rape Kits - (Feministe diary)
TX Women Paying for Own Rape Kits? (Mother Jones Magazine)

Sonia

[Cirque du So-What]

8. Bravo!

Your approach - making it federal law to provide a kit free of charge to any woman - makes much more sense than the knee-jerk reaction of telling the offending state to secede. Even though secession isn't going to happen - no way, no how - it shows little regard for the affected citizens (in this case, women who have been raped - among the most powerless of victims) who are then even more powerless if their state became a sovereign nation ruled by misogynists.

There's far too much state / regional bashing going on here at DU for my taste. No one here lives in a region free from bigots, misogynists or even Republicans for that matter, so no one is in a position to continuously rag on where others live. I'd like to see 'regionalism' treated as any other form of discrimination, and that doesn't mean that flamebait threads are allowed to run-on ad nauseam either; it means that all forms of bigotry are addressed on an equal footing - ageism, sexism, etc.

If some people would show some bravery and include their hometown/state, I'll be happy to point out the hypocrisy of their assaults upon whole states. I won't hold my breath for such an occurrence, however. These cowards are much more comfortable behind their shield of anonymity.

[sonias]

12. Thank you - Cirque du So-What!

I'm glad you understand that it does us no good to just bash Texas if we want to fix problems in our country.

One of my favorite MLK Jr. quotes:

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963

Let's keep that in our hearts and work to solve these problems anywhere.

Sonia

[BattyDem]

7. Are other crime victims charged for the materials used to collect evidence?

Latex gloves, plastic bags, envelopes, fingerprint lifting tape and other forensic supplies? Do victims gets the bill for these items? Are they billed for the gas used by police when driving to the crime scene or driving around town during an investigation?

WHY IS IT ONLY RAPE VICTIMS WHO ARE BEING CHARGED??? :grr:

[WolverineDG]

9. This happens in other states too, not just Texas nt

[Odin2005]

13. This is fucking outrageous, and re-traumatizes the victim.