Should Victims of Sexual Crimes Be Interviewed by Individuals of the Same Sex?

When an individual becomes the victim of a sexual crime, I firmly believe he or she should have the option of being interviewed by law enforcement of the same sex. A number of years ago, I was raped by one of my college classmates. Suffice it to say, it was a horrifying, degrading, and humiliating experience, one that I would not wish upon anyone. Although it seems like a lifetime ago, I will never forget the raw shame and vulnerability I felt long after this unspeakable crime.

Whether someone is sexually violated by a friend, loved one, or a complete stranger, his or her world becomes complete turmoil. The individual is thrown into a chaotic mix of overwhelming emotions that leave him or her dizzy and straining to find a strong, comforting hand to grasp. Yet, the victim is often so terrified to trust again and seek closeness with another human being, fearing more pain and humiliation. Many times, every part of the victim is screaming for him or her to avoid anything that reminds the individual of the horrifying event. As a result, reporting a sexual crime can be an excruciatingly difficult thing for a rape victim to do, an experience that can be just as traumatic as the crime itself.

The authorities should keep this in mind at all times when dealing with the rape victim. From the responding officer to the hospital staff that examine the victim to the detective that follows up the victim's report, each individual should realize just how helpless a person can feel after being sexually violated and thus go to every reasonable length to make him or her feel comfortable and safe. This should include providing doctors and interviewers of the same sex if the victim feels too uncomfortable or even more violated by the presence of the opposite gender during the examination and interviews.

Today, I do not remember much about my classmate's assault, largely because I have grown to forgive myself and my attacker and go on with my life, a stronger woman. However, I still remember vividly my time at the hospital and my interviews with the local police. My examination was probably the worst part of the entire ordeal for me. Yes, being raped is certainly a horrible thing to endure. But the attitude of the doctor who came to examine me is even more sickening. He came into my room, knowing full well why I was there, with such an arrogant, insensitive manner that still chills me to the bone. After answering a few of his tactless questions about the crime, I burst into tears because I simply could not go into the kind of detail that he wanted.

In aggravation, he threw my file down and bellowed to the nurse as he stormed out that if I did not start asking his questions, I might as well leave. The nurse, of course, was horrified and apologized for his unprofessional and unsympathetic behavior. My friend, who had driven me to the emergency room, immediately asked her for a female doctor to finish my examination, but she explained that he was the only doctor available that night. So, reluctantly, I had to "apologize" to the doctor and endure another injustice by another monster of a man.

Once my examination was over, I had to recount all that had happened to me a third time, this time to the responding officer, who to my horror was also a man. (The first time was with the nurse that took me to my room and the second with the doctor.) Seeing that I was having a hard time, though, the officer was sympathetic enough to cease his questioning. Instead, he permitted me to merely write all the details of my ordeal in a written statement, which I would review later with a detective when we arrived at the police station. As a witness of some of the insensitive treatment I had received at the hands of my doctor, though, he had to regrettably inform me that I would have to be interviewed again by a male detective because a female was not available to finish questioning me.

Hence, I had to relive my humiliating experience all over again with another man. Even though the officer and detective tried their utmost to be as considerate and brief as possible, I know that much unnecessary grief and shame could have been avoided if I had only been given the choice to speak with women during the interviews. Moreover, I am sure I would not so vividly remember my hospital visit today if I had only been given a female doctor, who could have related with me and eased my apprehension. In the end, I often wonder how many victims of sexual crimes have wished for the same option or how many individuals avoided reporting a sexual crime because they heard of horror stories such as mine.