In-depth examination of the dark side of an American justice system where women who report sexual assault are instead charged with perjury and jailed for it.
Investigative journalist Rae de Leon has discovered a startling pattern in rape cases in the United States. Namely, that women who have reported a sexual assault are suspected of lying by the police. First they are accused of making up their allegations, later they are prosecuted for giving false testimony and sometimes they end up serving prison sentences. ‘Victim/Suspect’ shows how the roles are reversed so the perpetrators are declared innocent while the victims sometimes end up behind bars and other times end their lives. Rae de Leon gets first-hand accounts from the women and interviews legal experts as she delves into police methods, interrogation techniques and preliminary investigations, and the outcome reveals a corrupt system. Nancy Schwartzman charts a law enforcement agency that confuses victims and suspects and is relevant far beyond America’s borders. It is a powerful testimony to systemic failure, police handling of cases and a determined journalist’s attempt to change it.
In-depth examination of the dark side of an American justice system where women who report sexual assault are instead charged with perjury and jailed for it.
Investigative journalist Rae de Leon has discovered a startling pattern in rape cases in the United States. Namely, that women who have reported a sexual assault are suspected of lying by the police. First they are accused of making up their allegations, later they are prosecuted for giving false testimony and sometimes they end up serving prison sentences. ‘Victim/Suspect’ shows how the roles are reversed so the perpetrators are declared innocent while the victims sometimes end up behind bars and other times end their lives. Rae de Leon gets first-hand accounts from the women and interviews legal experts as she delves into police methods, interrogation techniques and preliminary investigations, and the outcome reveals a corrupt system. Nancy Schwartzman charts a law enforcement agency that confuses victims and suspects and is relevant far beyond America’s borders. It is a powerful testimony to systemic failure, police handling of cases and a determined journalist’s attempt to change it.
