My Experience As A Former Rape Victim

So this is my experience as a former rape victim, now a survivor from CCSU.

Sexual assault has not only been a problem on the Central Connecticut State University campus for years, but the lack of services and the mentality of "sweeping it under the rug" is an everyday norm. The only support that I was provided at CCSU came from the Women's Center and my professors in the sociology department.

I was rape during my undergrad at CCSU. I reported my rape to the CCSU police within 24 hours. I spent the next day in the hospital having an evidence collection kit done for over 6 hours with no victim advocate provided. But as always, I had my mom in the room with me, supporting me.

Weeks later during my investigation, I sat in the police department with my mom by my side, once again, for a follow-up. As we sat there we listened to the CCSU police officer who is one of the men's name in this very lawsuit, say how he felt bad for my rapist. That my rapist seemed like a good guy who just made a bad mistake. That my rapist was going through a hard time since his grandfather died. We were even told that my rapist admitted to what he did to me, and he was so upset he cried.

This same CCSU police officer failed to send my case to the school's judicial office and blamed it on a fax issue. He is also the same person who "misplaced" my rape kit and the investigation notes. It's funny that all of a sudden it reappears 8 years later, long after the statute of limitations is over.

This CCSU officer failed me, failed to do his job, and failed to protect students and this just proves I was not the only one.

For those who may say this is a post against the police, you are wrong. My husband is a Police Sargeant and has supported, protected, and advocated for numerous victims and survivors of sexual assault.

This is about how hard the battle is for victims of sexual assault to get the justice they so rightly deserve. This is about how CCSU failed me and so many others. This is about how my rapist got away with rape. This is about how this ONE officer's personal choices to sweep my rape under the rug did not allow me to get my justice.

https://www-courant-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-ccsu-settlement-sexual-harassment-20200826-xkmmfbixvndvldlvfvvtopzi3q-story.html?amp_js_v=a3&amp_gsa=1&outputType=amp&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA=#aoh=15986165877341&referrer=https://www.google.com&amp_tf=From %1$s&ampshare=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-ccsu-settlement-sexual-harassment-20200826-xkmmfbixvndvldlvfvvtopzi3q-story.html