Young rape victims speak out

Published 11:19 am Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Editor’s note: This story contains graphic language and topics. Reader discretion advised.

The last thing Danika and Ariahna expected was to be shamed by their community.

The two teens, who were the victims of rape, say the treatment they received after going public with their story ranged from verbal abuse to online name-calling – by both peers and adults.

“For the past year, I have been spit on, threatened, called a whore, a slut, a liar, you name it,” said Ariahna. “People looked at me with disgust almost everywhere I went … I am so disappointed in the behavior that the majority of islanders have displayed that I no longer feel proud calling myself a resident of this beautiful island.”

Peter John Anderson, a 22-year-old Kirkland man who grew up on Orcas, confessed to sexually assaulting Danika and Ariahna in Sept. 2012 at party on the island. He pleaded guilty this past November to two counts of third-degree rape. On Feb. 28, he was sentenced in San Juan County Superior Court to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay $650 in fines and fees.

The teens say that despite Anderson’s confession, many people blamed them because they were intoxicated at the time of the assault.

“I was completely unable to speak, walk, stand up, let alone consent to sex with a man who I had never met beforehand and was much older than me,” Ariahna said. “Engaging in sexual intercourse with a minor who is completely incapacitated is wrong. I am astonished that I should have to spell it out, and even when I do, people still put the blame on me.”

Both girls, in addition to being under the age of consent, were incapacitated at the time Anderson raped the two, at separate times, hours apart, on the same night. At the time, Anderson, then 20, was four years older than both victims. It was not the first time he had been accused of a sex crime in the San Juans. In 2010, at age 18, Anderson was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and prosecuted on a charge of second-degree rape. That case was dismissed after six months when the girl opted against testifying at trial.

Danika says some of the worst comments were made on Facebook and news sites that reported on the case. She has since moved off the island because of the treatment she experienced.

“We were bombarded with hate-mail on social media sites … calling us liars, saying that we should be ashamed for trying to send an innocent man to prison,” Danika said. “It didn’t matter that he plead guilty and admitted to his actions, it didn’t even matter when he was actually found guilty and sent to 15 months in prison. It just kept on going and it’s still happening to this day.”

When the Islands’ Sounder posted a story online about Anderson’s sentence, a fierce debate began. Tyler Jensen commented, “Wish people new the real story, little girls did a great job of ruining someone’s life rather than face their own problems. Then have the nerve to disrespect his family to sell their lie and what not. Shameful.”

Danika and Ariahna say comments on personal Facebook pages were even more extreme.

Sandra Burt, a victim advocate for San Juan County, says this kind of behavior is common, particularly in small towns.

“I have been working with victims of rape since 1985, and the story is old but still the norm,” she said. “Many describe the public blame and humiliation and isolation as more painful than the rape … Sexual assault is one crime where the shameful behavior of the perpetrator gets transferred to the victim. In a small community, there is no escape from the drama, gossip, and victim-blaming. We don’t want to believe our young people would hurt each other, so we seek comfort in blaming the victim rather than facing the danger of the perpetrator.”

Orcas School Superintendent Barbara Kline says she was unaware of how the girls were treated on campus and online.

“Sometimes things happen that we don’t know about,” Kline said. “If something occurs on Facebook or other electronic media, we try to track it down and take action. We have to protect kids from both electronic bullying and on campus … but we cannot take action when we do not know that bullying is happening. I didn’t know the details of this situation.”

Over the years, the school has offered rape prevention programs through Planned Parenthood and Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of the San Juans. Currently, the topic is touched on in “Human Sexuality” taught by Cindy Elliott. She says the most common question from students is about date rape drugs. Elliott also teaches self defense in physical education for those who are interested.

In April, which is sexual assault awareness month, Island Reproductive Health Initiative and DVSAS have joined forces to present classroom sessions for juniors and seniors. It will be an opportunity to talk about “taking good care of themselves in sexual situations and relationships, avoiding risks, building caring relationships, knowing how to access helpful support,” say organizers.

National statistics

According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, 60 percent of sexual assaults are never officially reported and 97 percent of rapists will never spend a day in jail. Forty-four percent of victims are under 18 and 80 percent are under age 30. Two-thirds of assaults are committed by those known to the victim; 38 percent of rapists are a friend or acquaintance.

“In our community, we know that many rape victims go to DVSAS but never report,” Burt said. “They see many victims long after the sexual assault.”

In Washington state, the age of sexual consent is 16 years old. There are three main considerations in judging whether or not a sexual act is consensual: Are the participants old enough to consent? Do both people have the capacity to consent? Did both participants agree to take part?

To read more specifics about what consent means, see a guest column by DVSAS Director Anita Castle on page seven.

In about eight out of 10 rapes, no weapon is used other than physical force. Anyone may be a victim – women, men or children, straight or gay.

Acquaintance rape involves coercive sexual activities by a friend, date or acquaintance that occur against a person’s will by means of force, violence, duress or fear of bodily injury. In the aftermath, victims often think an attack was provoked through suggestive dress or kissing; fear retaliation and harassment from family and friends of the person responsible for the assault; and are blamed by family and friends for what happened. Like other forms of sexual assault, acquaintance rape is motivated by a need to control, to humiliate and to harm. The stages are intrusion (attempt to violate the victim’s personal space); desensitization (when the victim feels comfortable with the offender and has come to regard intrusive actions as no longer threatening); and isolation (the offender uses the victim’s trust to isolate him or her from others).

“Social norms put pressure on us to be polite and passive,” according to RAINN. “Relying on these norms, many victims of such assaults may suppress feelings of fear and discomfort in an attempt not to offend.”

Victims of sexual assault are three times more likely to suffer from depression; six times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder; 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol; 26 times more likely to abuse drugs; and four time more likely to contemplate suicide.

“I told the complete truth,” Ariahna said. “I will stand by that until the end. Although it’s hard not to crumble under the pressure that society puts on women to keep their mouths shut, it is so much more important to protect other people. I will never doubt that because of the way people treat me, but I understand why someone else might.”

Resources to help

• San Juan County’s Victim Services Program has two part-time advocates who are committed to including victims in every step of the criminal justice process. The program’s goal is to “hear what you want and need after the crime, help you and your loved ones stay safe, keep you informed about what is happening with the case, and be sure you get the help you need, whether that be counseling, a protection order, a chance to be heard in court, or fair repayment for your losses caused by the crime.”

For more info, visit sanjuanco.com/prosecutor/victimservices.aspx or call 378-4101.

• Locals can also receive help from Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of the San Juans. It is a private, nonprofit agency with trained advocates who assist victims through a 24-hour hotline. Victims can be served at DVSAS whether or not the criminal justice system is involved. The 24-hour crisis lines are as follows: Lopez, 468-4567; Orcas Island, 376-1234; San Juan Island, 378-2345.

• If you have been victimized but are not ready to report the incident to law enforcement, you can go to the doctor and request a sexual assault nurse examination, which is covered by the Washington’s Crime Victims’ Compensation Program. The evidence is given to the Sheriff’s Office anonymously – that way evidence is gathered and available if you decide to report the assault later.

• For info on rape and sexual assault, national hotlines and more, visit www.rainn.org.