Women’s Group Demands NYPD Fire Captain Peter Rose Over Comments on Sexual Assault
For Immediate Release: Friday, January 6, 2017
Contact: Yasmina Dardari, yasmina@unbendablemedia.com, 407-922-8149
Women’s Group Demands NYPD Fire Captain Peter Rose Over Comments on Sexual Assault
UltraViolet Says “Rape Is a Crime, Whether You Know the Rapist or Not”
NEW YORK — In a report by DNAinfo on the 62% increase in sexual assault reported in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenpoint this year, NYPD Captain Pete Rose blamed the lack of arrests on a distinction between what he refers to as “acquaintance rape” and “true stranger rape.” Rose stated the sexual assault increase is “not a trend that we’re too worried about because out of 13 [sex attacks], only two were true stranger rapes.”
Rose also stated that the lack of arrests are due to survivors of sexual assault cases not cooperating with police.
In reaction to Captain Peter Rose’s comments, Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of UltraViolet, a national women’s advocacy organization, released the following statement:
“Rape is a crime—whether you know the rapist or not, whether you are on Tinder or not—and it is the responsibility of law enforcement to investigate, prosecute and hold rapists accountable for their crimes—period, full stop.
“These remarks are deeply disturbing coming from a police captain. An increase in rape should alarm the NYPD and cause them to redouble their efforts to arrest rapists. Instead, Captain Peter Rose and the NYPD are engaging in victim-blaming of the worst kind while judging which rapes they deem to be legitimate and which they do not. With comments like these, it is not surprising that survivors of sexual assault don’t feel comfortable reporting and cooperating with police authorities who dismiss the seriousness of violence against women.
“The New York Police Department should immediately fire Captain Peter Rose for his dangerous and unacceptable views. Survivors of sexual assault and all New Yorkers deserve better.
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