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SUMMIT COUNTY — When media publicize details of domestic violence or sexual assault cases, Sarah Vaine's job can become more challenging.
Vaine, the executive director of Advocates for Victims of Assault, counsels women, or occasionally men, as they decide whether to report cases of assault to law enforcement.
The recent media exposure resulting from the arrest of Breckenridge resident Erik Rockne, who's accused of beating his girlfriend so badly she was nearly killed, then allegedly sexually assaulting her while she was hospitalized, makes other victims less likely to come forward with their stories, Vaine said.
Reading the lurid details in the newspaper of somebody's else painful experience often scares them away, she said.
"The idea that this most shameful and most horrifying experience of their own could be in the paper prevents people from wanting to talk about it because they're always blaming themselves," Vaine said.
Vaine says that publicity can also have the opposite effect - victims can gain strength by seeing that another person has reported abuse and follow suit. The problem is the stories are rarely about empowerment and offender accountability. Instead they focus on a victim's trauma, Vaine said.
"A lot of people would rather just forget about it, rather just try to heal from it and get through it than be traumatized," Vaine said.
Mark Hurlbert, District Attorney in Summit, Eagle, Clear Creek and Lake counties, said publicity often acts as a double-edged sword.
On one hand, the attention can deter other victims from coming forward, and Hurlbert said he's seen that happen in the past with front-page domestic violence or sexual assault cases.
Hurlbert was the lead prosecutor in the high-profile sexual assault case against Kobe Bryant in Eagle County and said, two years later, that county's number of reported sexual assaults is just now rebounding to where it was before the Bryant case. Hurlbert dropped the charges against the NBA star when the victim decided she didn't want to proceed, but by that time, the victim's personal life had already been heavily scrutinized in the media.
But people should understand that the majority of the time that doesn't happen, he said.
"We prosecute over a hundred domestic violence cases in Summit County every year; one has made it to the front page, so it is very, very rare," he said.
The other side of the coin is that when cases do attract the media spotlight, it can be used an opportunity to educate potential victims about their options, and try to convince them to come forward, Hurlbert said.
<b>Why law enforcement isn't always the answer</b>
Vaine said there are many reasons why domestic violence or sexual assault victims don't want to seek help from law enforcement. Aside from the fear and self-blame, there are pretenses out there about the face of domestic violence.
Victims often don't think of themselves as fitting the "battered woman" bill, but Advocates support groups are filled with woman from all walks of life.
There are also misconceptions in the community.
Vaine remembers that after local Sharon Garrison was murdered by her husband of 10 years in a domestic dispute in 2000 (Vaine was not with Advocates at the time), she heard discussions around the community questioning why Garrison stayed so long in an abusive relationship.
What people don't understand is that domestic violence doesn't just start out of the blue; it's a far more seductive process, she said. "The abuse starts very slowly, it starts with something minor that any one of us could forgive," Vaine added.
By that time, the victim is usually well-invested in the relationship, and the abuser is very apologetic, making it difficult to leave. Oftentimes, the relationship began with an charming courtship so there are conflicting behaviors present.
"It's not as simple and uncomplicated as people perceive it," she said.
Vaine also believes that people have outdated views about interacting with police. Victims imagine that if they go to police with their story, they'll have an intimidating experience with a big officer in uniform who's going to grill them.
Rather, the group of detectives in the county working these types of cases have the ingenuity to conduct their investigation while providing support and showing empathy toward the victim, Vaine said.
Vaine touted the county's unified law enforcement policy pertaining to sexual assault victims, which gives the victim control over how the reporting process proceeds, a rarity in the criminal justice system.
Vaine said victims thinking of reporting abuse should make sure they have a strong support circle of family and friends surrounding them, or should contact Advocates, which is anonymous, for guidance.
<b>Need Help?</b>
Sarah Vaine with Advocates for Victims of Assault can be reached at (970) 389-3166 or logon to www.summitadvocates.org for information on how to leave an abusive relationship.
<b>Options for a sexual assault victim</b>
According to a countywide policy, a sexual assault victim has four options when contacting law enforcement to report abuse. He or she can choose to:
• file a formal complaint with police, providing detailed information about the assault for a criminal investigation, which may result in an arrest and prosecution;
• file an information report, providing only pertinent information, which may result in a limited investigation, but no arrest will be made;
• file an anonymous report and police will not investigate; or
• make no report at all.
- Unified Sexual Assault Policy for Summit County
Nicole Formosa can be reached at (970) 668-4629, or at nformosa@summitdaily.com.
Vaine, the executive director of Advocates for Victims of Assault, counsels women, or occasionally men, as they decide whether to report cases of assault to law enforcement.
The recent media exposure resulting from the arrest of Breckenridge resident Erik Rockne, who's accused of beating his girlfriend so badly she was nearly killed, then allegedly sexually assaulting her while she was hospitalized, makes other victims less likely to come forward with their stories, Vaine said.
Reading the lurid details in the newspaper of somebody's else painful experience often scares them away, she said.
"The idea that this most shameful and most horrifying experience of their own could be in the paper prevents people from wanting to talk about it because they're always blaming themselves," Vaine said.
Vaine says that publicity can also have the opposite effect - victims can gain strength by seeing that another person has reported abuse and follow suit. The problem is the stories are rarely about empowerment and offender accountability. Instead they focus on a victim's trauma, Vaine said.
"A lot of people would rather just forget about it, rather just try to heal from it and get through it than be traumatized," Vaine said.
Mark Hurlbert, District Attorney in Summit, Eagle, Clear Creek and Lake counties, said publicity often acts as a double-edged sword.
On one hand, the attention can deter other victims from coming forward, and Hurlbert said he's seen that happen in the past with front-page domestic violence or sexual assault cases.
Hurlbert was the lead prosecutor in the high-profile sexual assault case against Kobe Bryant in Eagle County and said, two years later, that county's number of reported sexual assaults is just now rebounding to where it was before the Bryant case. Hurlbert dropped the charges against the NBA star when the victim decided she didn't want to proceed, but by that time, the victim's personal life had already been heavily scrutinized in the media.
But people should understand that the majority of the time that doesn't happen, he said.
"We prosecute over a hundred domestic violence cases in Summit County every year; one has made it to the front page, so it is very, very rare," he said.
The other side of the coin is that when cases do attract the media spotlight, it can be used an opportunity to educate potential victims about their options, and try to convince them to come forward, Hurlbert said.
<b>Why law enforcement isn't always the answer</b>
Vaine said there are many reasons why domestic violence or sexual assault victims don't want to seek help from law enforcement. Aside from the fear and self-blame, there are pretenses out there about the face of domestic violence.
Victims often don't think of themselves as fitting the "battered woman" bill, but Advocates support groups are filled with woman from all walks of life.
There are also misconceptions in the community.
Vaine remembers that after local Sharon Garrison was murdered by her husband of 10 years in a domestic dispute in 2000 (Vaine was not with Advocates at the time), she heard discussions around the community questioning why Garrison stayed so long in an abusive relationship.
What people don't understand is that domestic violence doesn't just start out of the blue; it's a far more seductive process, she said. "The abuse starts very slowly, it starts with something minor that any one of us could forgive," Vaine added.
By that time, the victim is usually well-invested in the relationship, and the abuser is very apologetic, making it difficult to leave. Oftentimes, the relationship began with an charming courtship so there are conflicting behaviors present.
"It's not as simple and uncomplicated as people perceive it," she said.
Vaine also believes that people have outdated views about interacting with police. Victims imagine that if they go to police with their story, they'll have an intimidating experience with a big officer in uniform who's going to grill them.
Rather, the group of detectives in the county working these types of cases have the ingenuity to conduct their investigation while providing support and showing empathy toward the victim, Vaine said.
Vaine touted the county's unified law enforcement policy pertaining to sexual assault victims, which gives the victim control over how the reporting process proceeds, a rarity in the criminal justice system.
Vaine said victims thinking of reporting abuse should make sure they have a strong support circle of family and friends surrounding them, or should contact Advocates, which is anonymous, for guidance.
<b>Need Help?</b>
Sarah Vaine with Advocates for Victims of Assault can be reached at (970) 389-3166 or logon to www.summitadvocates.org for information on how to leave an abusive relationship.
<b>Options for a sexual assault victim</b>
According to a countywide policy, a sexual assault victim has four options when contacting law enforcement to report abuse. He or she can choose to:
• file a formal complaint with police, providing detailed information about the assault for a criminal investigation, which may result in an arrest and prosecution;
• file an information report, providing only pertinent information, which may result in a limited investigation, but no arrest will be made;
• file an anonymous report and police will not investigate; or
• make no report at all.
- Unified Sexual Assault Policy for Summit County
Nicole Formosa can be reached at (970) 668-4629, or at nformosa@summitdaily.com.
