After seeing our documentary film Victim/Suspect, legislators in Connecticut passed a law aimed at standardizing and improving the way police treat victims in the aftermath of a sexual assault.
The new law establishes a council that will create a model policy for police responding to sexual assault and requires that officers offer certain services to victims and their children. Every law enforcement agency in the state will have to meet or exceed the model policy by September 2025.
In her testimony about the need for sexual assault victims to be treated better by law enforcement, a co-sponsor of the bill cited the investigation by Rachel de Leon of the Center for Investigative Reporting featured in the documentary film Victim/Suspect.
Rachel revealed a chilling nationwide pattern: When young people report sexual abuse to police, their stories often are twisted, police coax out a false recantation and those who began as victims end up being punished. Some are charged with making a false report, arrested and even imprisoned by the system from which they sought protection.
I encourage you to watch Victim/Suspect on Netflix today. The New York Times called the film a “blood-boiler.” You may also want to listen to Rachel’s investigation on the Reveal episode From Victim to Suspect, which chronicles a Connecticut woman’s legal battle after she reported being sexually assaulted by her boss and police didn’t believe her.
Thank you for your support.
Missa Perron Membership Manager
The Center for Investigative Reporting
P.S. We are able to produce rigorous, impactful investigations like this through the support of our members. Please start a monthly donation to help ensure we have the resources to combine hard-hitting investigative reporting with compelling storytelling. Thank you!
