Bob CollinsThe Star Tribune produced a Pulitzer Prize-caliber section on what happens when women in Minnesota report they’ve been raped (spoiler alert: too often, nothing).
The message the series conveyed shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. The story of Abby Honold, also told by reporter Brandon Stahl a few years ago, should have been enough to push politicians into the action they’ve said they’ll take in the days since Sunday’s stories were published.
It wasn’t, as Honold’s incredible tweet thread yesterday proved.
I’m going to take some time to talk about my friend Brooke Morath (with her permission). Brooke’s case was featured in Star Tribune article on Sunday: https://t.co/5txtNuw8Oj
— Abby Honold (@abbyhonold) July 24, 2018
Her assigned investigator, Brian Carlson (who retired a month before this story would be published) did not
-collect surveillance footage
-follow up on an extremely credible tip
-respond truthfully to questions from Brooke or her family
-document his investigation fully— Abby Honold (@abbyhonold) July 24, 2018
My attacker was a serial rapist and fraternity member named Daniel Drill-Mellum. I have spoken to 19 confirmed victims of his. He has been in prison since August 2016. By the time of Brooke’s attack, he had already been reported by two different women to the Minneapolis police
— Abby Honold (@abbyhonold) July 24, 2018
Brooke received a call from Sgt Carlson that week, who told her that the DNA in her kit would be tested against a known serial assailant in Dinkytown. She assumed it was Drill-Mellum, but it was not.
— Abby Honold (@abbyhonold) July 24, 2018
Only a few weeks later, Sgt Carlson said that the DNA had not been a match. Eventually, when Brooke requested her records to get evidence that the DNA was actually tested, Carlson reopened her case to prevent her from receiving any records. She still doesn’t have those records.
— Abby Honold (@abbyhonold) July 24, 2018
Brooke told me at this point that she had long been suspicious that Drill-Mellum was the man who attacked her. However, neither of us actually know. We have given up most hope of knowing. MPD never got a warrant, as far as we know, for DDM’s DNA, & the eyewitnesses have forgotten
— Abby Honold (@abbyhonold) July 24, 2018
Time to recognize that the narrative of “do everything you’re supposed to do as a victim, and you’ll be treated with respect” is false. Not only do those victims get mistreated as well, but the burden should not be on victims to “behave” well enough to be respected
— Abby Honold (@abbyhonold) July 24, 2018
“I still struggle to feel safe,” Morath, 24, told the Star Tribune in the series. “Not only because I don’t know the identity of my rapist, but because I don’t trust the law enforcement officer assigned to my case.”
The failure to vigorously investigate sexual assaults is endangering women across Minnesota, the Strib series said.
Maybe Sunday’s efforts will be a wake-up call to law enforcement and politicians. If so, it should give us pause to ask why they’ve slept on the problem to now.
