Chicago, IL—In response to numerous allegations of police sexual violence in Chicago that have recently come to light (detailed below), the Campaign Against Police Sexual Assault (CAPSA) has formed to address police sexual violence, beginning with a rally at the upcoming status hearing for Officers Paul Clavijo and Juan Vasquez.

Activists aim to bring attention to the matter in order to help buck the trend of police impunity and support the survivors' efforts at winning justice. Rachel Cohen, an organizer in CAPSA says "Now that Jane Doe has had the courage to come forward, I expect defense attorneys will try to drag her through the mud and find excuses to blame her or cast doubt on her story. I want her to know that she's not alone, and that she has the support of people all over this city. We want justice for her and for every other survivor who's ever been scared to come forward."

According to a 2007 study from the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School:
--The odds that a Chicago police officer charged with abuse will receive any form of meaningful discipline are 2 out of 1,000. But as the U.S. Dept. of Justice has found, only 1 in 10 citizens ever even report police abuse for fear of reprisal, and distrust of the investigatory process.
--Between 2002 and 2004, 85% of abuse complaints were dismissed without ever interviewing the officer.
--75% of Chicago police officers with multiple charges of abuse never receive any discipline whatsoever
--Brutality complaints are 94% less likely to be found as having sufficient evidence by the Chicago Police Department (CPD) than in the nation as a whole.

CAPSA is calling for the police to be held accountable to the communities they serve to the fullest extent; demanding the immediate removal, suspended pay, and arrest of any police officer who has misused their power and authority. Organizers also believe the burden of legal fees for police officers accused of abusing citizens should not be placed on taxpayers, via payment from the CPD. The activists also demand fair, thorough and transparent investigations into all allegations of police abuse.

Rally participants also stress concern over a culture of victim-blaming and a systemic lack of seriousness which surrounds rape in society at large, particularly in the wake of two recent high-profile incidences in which Naffisatou Diallo, the hotel maid accusing former IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of rape was subjected to a character attack in the New York Post, which is now being sued by her for libel; and the case of NYPD officers Moreno and Mata, who were acquitted of rape despite the survivor's cervical bruising, the existence of surveillance footage of the officers entering her apartment building three times, and a taped confession in which officer Moreno admitted to having sex with her. Jurors and newspaper articles cited the survivors' intoxication as cause for reasonable doubt.

Cassandra Avenatti, who helped to organize CAPSA explains, "We've seen a deeply troubling trend toward victim-blaming and police impunity in cases of police sexual assault. Survivors not only have to live with the trauma of the attack, but have to endure the distress of a legal process that denies the legitimacy of their claim and blames them for their sexual assault."

1 in every 6 women are survivors of rape or sexual assault, according to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN). Among college age women, the rate jumps to 1 in every 4. In addition, RAINN's statistics show that nationally, 60% of sexual assaults go unreported. In Chicago, 1 out of 6 rape investigations are dropped—3 times the national average—because police decide allegations are "unfounded," according to a Chicago Justice Project report on Felony Sex Crimes. Of accused rapists, 15 out of 16 never spend a day in jail.

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Additional background on recent CPD sexual assault cases:

CPD Officers Paul Clavijo and Juan Vasquez: On March 11, 2011 Clavijo and Vasquez allegedly sexually assaulted Jane Doe1, 27 years-old, after offering to give her a ride to work. Jane Doe1 reported the alleged rape, yet the Chicago Police Department allowed Clavijo and Vasquez to retain their employment as patrol officers, thus enabling them to commit a similar alleged crime against Jane Doe2, 22 years-old on March 30, 2011 while on duty. Doe2 reported that while being sexually assaulted, she began knocking loudly on her wall in an attempt to wake her neighbors and obtain help. Once she was able to break free from the officers, Ms. Doe ran screaming from her apartment into the hallway. Neighboring residents heard Ms. Doe’s screams for help and entered the hallway. One or more residents observed both of the officers—one of whom who was partially dressed in police uniform and one fully unclothed—running down the hallway to exit the building. Clavijo and Vasquez have both plead "not guilty."

Tiawanda Moore, 21: As the New York Times has reported, Moore is currently facing two counts of eavesdropping—a class 1 felony carrying a sentence of up to 15 years in prison—for attempting to record 2 Chicago Internal Affairs officers as they allegedly intimidated her from filing charges of sexual assault on an officer who she accused of fondling her in her own home, after being called there for a domestic dispute. Moore said that when she went to Internal Affairs she was only trying to make sure no other women suffered at the hands of the officer. Internal Affairs has officially closed the investigation on Moore's allegation of police sexual misconduct against her.

CPD Sergeant John Herman: As the Chicago Sun Times has reported, Herman was convicted in 2008 of aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated kidnapping and official misconduct. The Illinois Appellate Court recently overturned his conviction, citing the survivor's admission of using crack-cocaine prior to being ordered into Herman's car and driven to her apartment, where he allegedly drew his gun and forced her to have sex with him, while on duty. Her DNA was found on his baton; Herman alleged the sex was consensual.

CPD Officers Robert Watson and Jerome Starks: Internal Affairs dismissed a 2009 complaint of Jane Doe without interviewing Watson and Starks, who drove Doe to her house while on duty—under the pretense of helping her—and are alleged to have proceeded to commit sexual assault against her. Doe, and her friends and coworkers who came into contact with the officers and corroborated her account, gave lengthy interviews to Internal Affairs. Neither officer has been disciplined or held accountable in any way. A civil suit has recently been filed against Watson and Starks.

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Media requests, contact:
Sarah Macaraeg, 312-315-8476, sarah.macaraeg (at) gmail.com