Heather was 15 years old when she was gang-raped.

For more than 30 years, she lived with the shame and anger of her trauma until she finally decided to report it to the Kelowna RCMP when she was 48 years old.

A year later, she was told by investigators that there wasn含羞草研究社檛 enough evidence and her case was closed, leaving her with more questions than answers and a sense of betrayal by those who are supposed to serve and protect.

Her experience with the police, like so many others in Kelowna, appears to be a common story many survivors of sexual assault have encountered.

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According to Statistics Canada, nearly 40 per cent of sexual assaults reported to Kelowna RCMP were deemed 含羞草研究社渦nfounded含羞草研究社� in 2018.

That number is more than double the 15 per cent average across the province and dwarfs the under five per cent averages in Vancouver and Victoria.

The alarming statistic represents 35 victims in Kelowna who claimed they were sexually assaulted but were never able to find justice.

Heather is one of those victims.

含羞草研究社淜elowna has a problem,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淭here is no such thing as justice in this city for survivors and victims of sexual assault.含羞草研究社�

Heather, whose last name the Capital News has agreed to keep anonymous, was in Grade 10 at a party with some friends on spring break when she was allegedly gang-raped.

While she含羞草研究社檚 not sure if she was drugged, she said it was at that party in April 1986, where she was found unconscious and barricaded in a room with three of her classmates who sexually assaulted her.

含羞草研究社淭he last thing I remember was sitting on the couch drinking,含羞草研究社� Heather said. 含羞草研究社淩umours are that I was drugged.含羞草研究社�

Heather said when she woke up the next day, she was 含羞草研究社渟ore everywhere,含羞草研究社� and she 含羞草研究社渏ust knew含羞草研究社� she had been assaulted.

Upon returning to school the following Monday, she had been deemed a 含羞草研究社渟lut含羞草研究社� by her classmates.

It took Heather含羞草研究社檚 friends 含羞草研究社� whom she now refers to using air quotes 含羞草研究社� 32 years to tell her the names of two of the alleged culprits, allowing her to file a police report with the RCMP in September 2018.

She said her 含羞草研究社渇riends含羞草研究社� wouldn含羞草研究社檛 divulge the name of the third culprit.

According to Heather, the RCMP含羞草研究社檚 initial investigation was limited to a single phone call, which was made to the wrong person with the same name as her assailant.

含羞草研究社淗e denied knowing me. They closed the case,含羞草研究社� said Heather, reliving the frustration she felt.

Feeling unheard, she decided to go up the chain of command.

含羞草研究社淚 spoke with someone who knows how to fight the RCMP,含羞草研究社� she said.

含羞草研究社淗e did some digging and he found out that they had just randomly phoned some guy with the same name.含羞草研究社�

After demanding a more thorough investigation, Heather said the RCMP made two additional phone calls to both of the men she accused, only for them to deny the allegations and the case to be closed in August 2019 含羞草研究社� less than a year after it was opened.

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Adding insult to injury, to this day, Heather said she is still seen as a slut by her classmates and feels betrayed by those she called her friends and classmates.

She even wrote a letter to them explaining the pain she felt when they looked the other way the day she needed them most.

含羞草研究社淚 did not have a good time. I did not deserve what those boys did to me, but more than that, I did not deserve what you all did to me after. I was raped and you all either covered it up or created a narrative where I was a slut and liked it,含羞草研究社� reads an excerpt from the letter she wrote to her classmates entitled Happy 30th Reunion.

Still raw from her embittered battle with law enforcement, Heather said there were times she could含羞草研究社檝e screamed at the officers handling her case.

含羞草研究社淚 tried so f含羞草研究社攌ing hard to keep it together when I reported,含羞草研究社� she said.

At one point, during what she described as a very intimidating reporting process, Heather said she was asked whether or not she consented.

含羞草研究社淚 was 15 and I was unconscious. How would I have consented?含羞草研究社� She said.

含羞草研究社淚 walked into that office and I含羞草研究社檇 had 32 years to resolve my trauma含羞草研究社�I can含羞草研究社檛 imagine being a fresh survivor and having to deal with them.含羞草研究社�

According to Heather, the RCMP is 含羞草研究社渟teeped in rape culture含羞草研究社� and systemic change is needed in the way sexual assault cases are handled, adding she wasn含羞草研究社檛 surprised 40 per cent of sexual assault cases in 2018 were deemed 含羞草研究社渦nfounded含羞草研究社� by the RCMP in Kelowna.

含羞草研究社淲e need proper sexual assault investigators in this city and we need cops who understand what rape culture is and how they含羞草研究社檙e contributing to it,含羞草研究社� said Heather.

She slammed the police force for its poor training practices and described the current situation as an 含羞草研究社渆pidemic.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淲e need proper training; we need to hire better RCMP officers to begin with含羞草研究社�they need to be empathetic and they need to care about this epidemic because it is an epidemic.含羞草研究社�

Michelle Novakowski, executive director for the Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society, agreed that more training needs to be given to police officers handling sensitive crimes, however, she said RCMP officers are still human and fallible.

含羞草研究社淲hile we do hold police to a higher standard, they含羞草研究社檙e still part of our culture and there are a lot of myths around sexual assault,含羞草研究社� she said.

She cited familiar tropes such as 含羞草研究社渨omen ask for it含羞草研究社� or 含羞草研究社渟he shouldn含羞草研究社檛 have been drinking含羞草研究社� as unfortunate myths that are still perpetuated in society that place the blame on victims instead of putting the blame on the assailants.

含羞草研究社淭hose come out when somebody reports a sexual assault,含羞草研究社� she said.

Novakowski said the Elizabeth Fry Society has been working with the RCMP for a couple of years on developing a trauma-informed practice, but says more work still needs to be done.

The RCMP declined an interview request, but in a statement said the investigation into Heather含羞草研究社檚 case was concluded because the evidence did not meet the threshold to lay a charge.

That threshold, according to RCMP, is set out by the attorney general and must include the 含羞草研究社渟ubstantial likelihood of conviction.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淲e the RCMP know that sexual assault is a devastating crime that has traumatic and long-lasting effects on victims,含羞草研究社� read the statement.

含羞草研究社淢oreover, a poor experience with police investigators can bring more trauma to victims and discourage others from reporting these crimes.

含羞草研究社淲e are committed to strengthening police training and awareness, investigative accountability, victim support and public education and communication.含羞草研究社�

The RCMP said it is committed to ensuring sexual assault survivors feel comfortable coming forward.

含羞草研究社淲e want to ensure that all survivors of sexual assault feel comfortable bringing their allegations to the RCMP, receive the same standard of care regardless of jurisdiction, and trust investigators to thoroughly and professionally investigate these crimes,含羞草研究社� said the RCMP statement.

While those words might bring comfort to some sexual assault survivors, for Heather, it含羞草研究社檚 too little, too late.

含羞草研究社淜elowna is an incredibly toxic city when it comes to this stuff. It hasn含羞草研究社檛 changed since I was 15.含羞草研究社�

michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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