October 8, 2020

With a career centered on representing survivors in court, CAASE attorney Christine Crow has had numerous first-hand experiences with police responses to sexual violence. And, for the most part, they’ve been inconsistent. At times they’ve been terrible. 

“Of course there are scenarios where the detective takes the report seriously and, after investigating, pushes their case in front of the State’s Attorney’s Office,” she says. “But, the vast majority falls short of that.” 

CAASE’s newest report, Too Little, Too Late? The CPD’s Response to Sex Crimes, confirms Crow’s observations, vividly illustrating the shortcomings of Chicago’s police. For example, our research found the city received 1,109 police reports of criminal sexual assault that occurred in 2019, but made only 50 arrests. Over the last decade, the arrest rates for sexual offenses have been just 10 to 20 percent. And, even when an arrest occurred, survivors had to wait an average 13 to 72 days for their assailant to be detained.  

According to Crow, there are numerous reasons why the criminal justice system has a bad record when it comes to instances of sexual harm. 

“Often, police take cases more seriously if the assault fits the stereotype: It’s a stranger, at nighttime, in the park,” she continues. “The average assault, however, is committed by someone the survivor already knows. It really affects how police respond.” Our data analysis confirms this observation, too. 

CAASE found aggravated offenses (typically those that involve a weapon) were more likely to lead to an arrest than non-aggravated offenses. We suspect this is a consequence of the common sentiment that certain rapes are more “real” and deserve greater prioritization from law enforcement. Yet, a national survey of female victims found that just 11 percent of sexual assaults involved a weapon, such as a gun or a knife. That means law enforcement is putting greater attention on the minority of sexual assaults. 

“Currently, law enforcement are more likely to approach a case with the intent of finding out a dispassionate set of ‘facts.’ They judge for themselves…often from an under-informed, skeptical perspective, how severe the harm was and how dangerous the offender is,” says Crow. “With this approach, police place themselves in the position of expert on sexual assault in general and on what happened to a given survivor in particular—over and above the expertise of the survivor who lived it. This approach is inherently invalidating, belittling, and patriarchal.”

…Police place themselves in the position of expert on sexual assault in general and on what happened to a given survivor in particular—over and above the expertise of the survivor who lived it.

Christine Crow, Staff Attorney at CAASE

With such meager responses, you may wonder why survivors ever report to the police. Research tells us that the vast majority don’t. It’s estimated that of all sexual assaults that occur nationally, just 32 percent are reported to law enforcement. It’s clear that we must support survivors with paths to healing and justice outside the criminal system. It’s also imperative that survivors be able to count on a high-quality response from law enforcement when they report a crime. They should be able to expect accountability. However, Crow points out “…that’s just not the end result for the majority of cases.”

In her experience, most survivors who make a police report—including and especially women of color—do so out of a recognition of their own value and the value of other people like them. She says “They so often report out of a strong sense of obligation to prevent anyone from ever having to suffer the way that they themselves have suffered and continue to suffer—and it’s often at great risk to their own emotional, social, and even physical well-being.” The least we can do is hold the police to high standards so survivors are treated with dignity and their pain is taken seriously.

“An adequate law enforcement response would actively seek input from the survivor as to the severity and sort of harm posed by their offender,” Crow explains. “It would start by believing that survivor’s estimations and would double-check that information against its own research-based understanding of the known dynamics of sexual assault and sexual assailants.”

Survivors’ experiences, our staff’s observations, and our findings make it clear that CPD must improve. We also must accept that the criminal justice system cannot be the only option we offer survivors. That’s why CAASE’s report makes 10 recommendations to city and state leaders for addressing sexual harm and joined The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence in calling for change*. Along with allied organizations, we encourage the city to move a small portion of the police budget to comprehensive, community-based responses to gender violence, while holding law enforcement to high standards. We believe that this shift will provide survivors with the thorough, multi-faceted options they deserve. 

---

Are You a Survivor in Chicago?

CAASE will continue analyzing our city’s criminal justice response to sex crimes. In an upcoming report, we will specifically highlight the voices and stories of Black survivors— who are disproportionately impacted by sexual harm—and their lived experiences with Chicago’s criminal legal system. If you would like to add your voice to this report, please email our Community Engagement Manager, Anika Sterling Florez, at

asflorez@caase.org or call (773) 244-2230, ext. 201

Legal Support 

If you are a survivor who’s had issues dealing with CPD in relation to a reported sexual offense and are interested in a free legal consultation, please email legal@caase.org or call us at 773-244-2230 x 204. 

*For a more in-depth understanding, please read Shifting Resources & Saving Lives: Funding Domestic and Sexual Violence Services in Chicago, a 2020 report from the Network that offers both data and clear solutions to monolithic police responses. 

---

This piece was primarily authored by KT Hawbaker with assistance from Hayley Forrestal.