Op-Ed: Alexis Crawford Reported Her Assault; Who Listened?

The picture has grow to be disturbingly frequent. One other lacking Black girl’s face shared on-line as her household waits and prays for her secure return. 

Final week, that girl was 21-year-old Clark Atlanta pupil Alexis Crawford. As her killers await their day in courtroom, the nation can solely speculate as particulars emerge about what precisely occurred to Alexis. 

RELATED: Op-Ed: Alexis Crawford Deserved A ‘Roomie’ Who’d Have Her Again For Life, Like Mine

What we do know is that her physique was present in a park off Columbia Drive in Dekalb County, Georgia simply miles from campus. Now her roommate, Jordyn Jones alongside along with her roommate’s boyfriend, Barron Brantley, are in custody and charged along with her homicide. 

Particulars of Crawford’s final moments and the occasions main as much as which are nonetheless rising. The Fulton County Superior Courtroom confirmed this week that Crawford’s explanation for demise was asphyxiation and Brantly has confessed to finishing up the deadly act. 

RELATED: Alexis Crawford’s Disturbing Final Moments And Trigger Of Loss of life Revealed

On Oct. 27 Simply days earlier than her demise, Crawford filed a report with the Atlanta police stating she endured “undesirable kissing and touching” by the hands of Baron Brantly, the younger man who would later be accused of taking her life.

Alexis’s story will not be dissimilar from what so many ladies throughout the US have skilled when their cries for assist land on deaf ears. 

A Georgetown College research discovered the notion of Black women has a profound impact on the help they obtain from lecturers and legislation enforcement. This ignorance and bias has restricted our potential to obtain care, bear wholesome infants safely and really feel safe in our houses.

Scott Berkowitz is the President and Founding father of RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest Nationwide Community), the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence group. 

RAINN additionally operates the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline which companions with native service suppliers to assist victims throughout the nation. 

Scott spoke with me about what submitting a sexual assault report seems to be like for victims within the U.S. in the present day and why so many fall by the cracks.

“It seems like she did the best factor in calling the police,” Scott stated once I requested what Alexis may have achieved in a different way. “That may undoubtedly be the very first thing we’d advise folks to do.” 

RELATED: BET EXCLUSIVE: Rev. Markel Hutchins Speaks On Behalf Of Alexis Crawford’s Household About Her Mindless Homicide & Jordyn Jones

Berkowitz additionally acknowledged calling the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline can join victims to sources and help meant to arrange them for the daunting legislation enforcement course of. 

The truth that Alexis mustered sufficient braveness to even step foot right into a police station and file a criticism speaks volumes to the urgency of her scenario. 

The Nationwide Heart on Violence In opposition to Ladies within the Black Group described the state of Black girls and sexual assault in a 2018 report, “For each Black girl who reviews rape, no less than 15 Black girls don’t report” states the doc, quoting U.S. Division of Justice findings from 2003. 

Scott says the problem fairly often is that the police stations might not be geared up to deal with our wants. “The urgency [sexual assault complaints are] handled with can fluctuate a lot and infrequently legislation enforcement don’t deal with it as urgently as they need to or because the sufferer would moderately anticipate.” 

As an alternative of urgency, Crawford’s plea for assist was filed and apparently remained unaddressed till her mom reported her lacking days later. 

The accountability doesn’t, nevertheless, fall solely on the shoulders of legislation enforcement. Campus life needs to be a secure area the place reporting assault is protected, and establishing that tradition is dictated by our personal establishments

Final 12 months, an LA Instances article shared an interview with Finish Rape on Campus mission supervisor, Chardonnay Madkins who spoke particularly in regards to the causes younger Black girls don’t report sexual assault. 

Among the many matter of entry and schooling, Madkins additionally talked about the stigma current round reporting Black males on HBCU campuses: 

“It tells these black girls to stay silent as a result of the schooling of their perpetrator is actually extra vital than their schooling, and that [they] can’t be one other one that sends a black man to jail.” 

This highlights a problem extra particularly with campus tradition and the necessity to create secure environments for girls in school. 

If we wish to see change occur, the hassle has to come back not simply from the powers that resolve our destiny, but additionally from the Black establishments who educate us

RELATED: ‘She Was A Sketch Artist: ’Crawford Household Spokesperson Tells BET How They Need Alexis To Be Remembered

The matter of pupil security is one which has certainly been on the minds and hearts of Clark Atlanta college students and households because the faculty 12 months started. 

This previous August video surfaced of a shooter spraying bullets right into a crowd of party-goers celebrating the top of latest pupil orientations. 

After the capturing, guarantees have been made to beef up safety and security measures and hopefully, the tragedy of Crawford’s demise will shine extra mild on sexual assault violence and efforts to guard younger girls and never simply gun violence.

RELATED: 4 Ladies Injured At Clark Atlanta Taking pictures Have Been Recognized

Till then, choices for Black girls experiencing sexual assault are nonetheless dismal when the primary line of protection is the police. 

In accordance with Berkowitz, RAINN encourages legislation enforcement businesses to coach their officers on trauma-informed interviewing strategies. “So, when a sufferer of sexual assault calls 9-1-1, they’re interviewed by an officer who is aware of how one can cope with a sufferer of a intercourse crime, and is aware of how to attract out the story and be taught the small print of what occurred.”

The Worldwide Affiliation of Chiefs of Police affords trauma-informed coaching for legislation enforcement and states that between 2014 and 2019 they skilled 2100 members. 

In fact with over 600,000 energetic cops, a couple of thousand is only a drop within the bucket and as a group, we’re left to ponder the essential query – if I name the police, will they hassle to assist?