Decline in sexual assault reports belies rise in calls to Larimer victim services

Five years ago, Karissa Stolen was no stranger to the toll sexual assault exacts upon its victims.

Her mom was board president of the Sexual Assault Victim Advocate Center in Fort Collins, and Stolen supported the agency's mission and programs.

But when she was sexually assaulted in 2013, it still felt "completely foreign."

"I really just disassociated myself a lot from the experience," she said.

Stolen was at a graduation party with friends on the last night of finals week when, "I got way too drunk, and so the night gets a little bit fuzzy, which is why I think after my sexual assault, I questioned whether or not it happened or if it was my fault," she said.

As she and her friends were leaving the party, they ran into a close friend of Stolen's. Somehow, Stolen said, the two ended up alone in a room.

Although Stolen said she was in and out of consciousness, she does remember telling the friend "no" several times, as he "was trying to get me to do a lot of things." She also recalls grunts and finding the man on top of her.

Stolen's friends found her alone about 20 minutes later. She was clothed, but her underwear was on the floor.

"I just fell over sobbing. ... He raped me," she said.

The next day, aside from stopping at Planned Parenthood for a Plan B emergency contraceptive pill, she tried to carry on as normal. Later that night, she finally told her mom.

Though she didn't report the assault to police or take a medical exam because she was questioning herself so much — which she now says she understands is not her fault and is a normal reaction victims can have after an assault — Stolen began what she calls her "healing journey." That included help from SAVA, from the Colorado State University Women and Gender Advocacy Center and from a campus group called the Red Whistle Brigade.

The journey led her to become a volunteer victim advocate for SAVA at the end of 2016. SAVA offers victims of sexual assault services including a crisis hotline, individual and group therapy, client advocacy, and conducts community education and outreach events.

"I was trying to find a way that I could give back and really support a community of individuals who experienced the same thing," Stolen said.

Connecting that community with the services they seek — especially justice — continues to prove difficult, however.

A government survey estimates that 1 in 4 Colorado women and 1 in 17 men will be victimized by sexual assault in their lifetime. However, only a fraction of assaults are believed to be reported to police, with even fewer ending in convictions. In Larimer County, a decade of overall decline in assaults reflected in reporting data kept by area law enforcement belies the increased demand for services experienced by victim advocates.

But as the national #MeToo movement continues to gain traction and people become aware of how best to support victims, Stolen is hopeful.

"I think that there is so much empowerment there," she said. "It just makes me really excited to kind of see hopefully the landscape change a little bit."

Stolen doesn't expect overnight change. Rape culture, she said, is rooted in institutional and systemic barriers. But movements such as #MeToo give survivors a voice and hope that they will be heard.

Reports tell an incomplete story

The number of sexual assaults reported each year to Larimer County law enforcement agencies has fluctuated over the last decade, even declining in recent years. But victim service providers are seeing rising demand for their services, credited partly to an increased awareness of sexual violence.

That incongruity does not surprise officers or service providers. Changing reporting requirements and differences in how sexual assaults are tracked over the years can skew trend lines.

And just because a criminal charge isn’t filed against a suspect doesn't mean the assault didn't happen, warns First Assistant District Attorney for the Eighth Judicial District Mitch Murray. It just means there isn’t enough evidence to convict an alleged perpetrator beyond a reasonable doubt.

A 2010 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites that about 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the country have been raped at some time in their lives. 

In Colorado, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 17 men will experience either an attempted or completed sexual assault.

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The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment states that "measuring the true magnitude of sexual violence is difficult, due to issues of nondisclosure, different data collection and analysis methodologies, and the varying definitions of sexual violence."

In 2016, Larimer County's largest law enforcement agencies recorded 220 reports of sexual assaults. In 2008, that number was 358. But the years in between didn't necessarily show a significant trend beyond a large decline in reports reflected in data kept by Fort Collins Police Services.

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Agencies say the differences could be caused by factors ranging from a growing population to changes in reporting requirements and increased awareness after high-profile incidents.

SAVA Director of Victim Advocacy and Outreach Katie Abeyta said it's difficult to capture the exact number of sexual assaults that take place in a community and warned that police reports don't paint the most accurate picture.

"What we find is more people are coming forward but not necessarily reporting to police," she said, adding that there are "a million valid reasons to make a report and a million reasons not to."

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In some situations, victims may not even realize they have a case to report — in some situations, Abeyta said, an assault may occur because of coercion, manipulation, grooming or being taken advantage of while a person is intoxicated, among others.

"Many individuals who experience these types of situations may not recognize what they have experienced to be sexual assault because society promotes the idea that assault is always very physically violent," she said.

SAVA victim advocates help clients through whatever steps are needed to get through the healing process, and that differs from person to person, Abeyta said. For some, reporting to law enforcement helps. But that's not always the case.

Stolen decided after a lot of thought against reporting the assault by her college friend.

"I still now wonder what that would have looked like," she said.

She was conflicted initially: what if she didn't report it and he assaulted someone else? But at the same time, she was worried she would "ruin" the man's life and she would lose their mutual friends.

"There was some guilt about (whether) this was a one-time thing for him or not," she said.

Her decision ultimately came down to a few factors: She knew her story would be scrutinized and every aspect of her life nitpicked; she would have to constantly relive the experience; and she worried that the instances where she blacked out would allow a lawyer to cast doubt on her credibility.

"I just didn't know, for me, reliving that was really what I wanted," she said.

Abeyta said SAVA only reports assaults to law enforcement in situations where it is required to do so by law, such as when a victim is under 18 or if a person has access to other children under 18. Otherwise, clients dictate how they want to proceed.

Advocates tell victims it's not their responsibility to make sure a perpetrator doesn't assault again — that responsibility rests with the perpetrator.

State expands reporting options

Police, tasked with creating an entry point into the criminal justice system for alleged assailants, take a slightly different view on reporting.

Lt. Kristy Volesky, who used to oversee the Crimes Against Persons Unit for Fort Collins Police Services, said officers encourage victims to make a report right away. That way, if the victim ultimately decides to pursue a criminal case, he or she can refer back to the police report taken at the time of the assault, along with any physical evidence that may have been collected.

In an effort to encourage reporting of alleged assaults, a new law signed in 2015 has offered victims the option of anonymous reporting. Before the change, Volesky said, victims had two options: report directly to law enforcement or to a medical provider.

In both options, the victim would take a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination. Evidence provided from a report directly to police would be sent to a lab for testing unless a victim withdrew consent.

A victim reporting at a hospital would have his or her identifying information sent to law enforcement. That victim could then choose whether to have their evidence tested and whether to seek charges, with police retaining the evidence for at least two years.

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Anonymous reporting allows victims to take a medical exam and provide information to police without sharing their identifying information. With this option, the victim's evidence isn't tested, but he or she can still contact law enforcement to pursue charges at a later date.

In Colorado, the statute of limitations on seeking charges for sexual assault doubled in 2016, from 10 years to 20 years. For sex offenses against children, there is no statute of limitations on seeking charges.

Larimer County Sheriff's Office Lt. John Feyen emphasized the importance of reporting immediately, adding that police aren't solely looking for biological evidence.

Especially over the last decade, evidence could include surveillance footage from a bar or motel, for example, or social media or cellphone communication between a victim and suspect. Evidence gathered doesn't necessarily have to be about the incident in question, but can be anything that helps police create a timeline or paint a picture of related circumstances.

Otherwise, it's just the victim's word against the suspect's, and that can be difficult, he said.

That's one of the reasons the district attorney's office likes to have one of its own investigators involved in investigations early in the process.

"In these kind of cases, you have to be accustomed to the idea that reports are coming in late, that physical evidence might have disappeared by the time you really find out something happens," Murray said. "You have to be a little more creative in directing an investigation in trying to see if you can fill in for what's missing," and find out what can be "corroborated or disputed."

Murray, who oversees the Eighth Judicial District's sexual assault unit, has seen the unit add one district attorney's investigator and a victim advocate over the last year and a half.

The additional resources have improved the unit that also handles child abuse cases that involve serious bodily injury or death. What used to be handled by one person, Murray said, is now handled by three on a full-time basis.

"(Sexual assault) cases take more time; they involve a lot more work; they involve a lot more contact; they involve an investigation that goes in different directions," he said. 

The judicial district has consistently filed between 150 and 200 felony charges involving alleged sexual assault each year over the last nine years.

A rising tide of awareness

Victim advocates have also had to pivot to address increased need for their services.

In 2015, SAVA’s 24-hour rape crisis hotline received 723 calls. In 2008, it received 627. The agency is still tallying calls for 2017, but the estimate is about 950 calls.

SAVA Rape Crisis Hotline Calls

• 2008: 627
• 2009: 612
• 2010: 525
• 2011: 601
• 2012: 477
• 2013: 545
• 2014: 624
• 2015: 723
• 2016: 778

SOURCE: SAVA

Abeyta said the nonprofit has noticed an influx of people seeking its services since news broke last year about sexual harassment and assault allegations brought forth against prominent people in positions of power.

“It always helps to have a conversation about it,” she said.

One of Abeyta’s primary responsibilities at SAVA is educating the community on issues of sexual violence. That includes providing education on why victims may wait to report or what trauma can do to a victim.

Abeyta works with SAVA on the It's On Us campaign in Fort Collins, a movement spurred by President Barack Obama's administration to raise awareness about sexual assault on college campuses. SAVA has taken it a step further to provide sexual assault prevention and response training to local groups and to train area bartenders to recognize dangerous signs.

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Feyen said while it still surprises and saddens him that sexual assault and harassment continues to be so prevalent on a national scale, he hopes that "as people become more aware, more emboldened," they'll be able to help decrease the incidence of sexual assault.

"I think one of the things that scares a lot of people away (from reporting) is that there's still a societal belief that it's still the victim's fault to some degree," Feyen said.

Feyen said even if a victim is not sure if an allegation rises to the level of an illegal harassment or assault, he encourages the victim to report it.

"If it bothers you, then there's probably something wrong with it," he said. "Let us make a decision or help walk through that decision with you."

Volesky said another thing that helps police when receiving reports from victims is full disclosure.

"I think the most important thing to do would be to be completely forthcoming with everything that happened," she said.

Sometimes, victims may feel guilt about using drugs or alcohol and may not mention the use. Volesky said it's better for police to know upfront and help the investigation, rather than it coming out in court while a defendant's lawyer tries to discredit the victim's story.

"If someone has been victimized, we need to know all the details," she said. "We can't make the bad facts go away, and frankly, we don't want to. We want to hold the right people accountable for what's happened (in the assault)."

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That's one aspect SAVA tries to work through with its clients, helping them to understand that other consensual actions during an incident or substance use do not diminish a perpetrator's actions or make them acceptable.

Although she was aware of the prevalence and issues surround sexual assault before 2013, Stolen said she's using her experience to help others in a way she wouldn't have been able to before. That includes dispelling misconceptions and helping victims through a process that is oftentimes confusing and makes a victim to question him or herself.

"Once you've experienced it ... when you're talking to someone, you just kind of get it," she said.

Reporter Saja Hindi covers public safety and local politics. You can follow her on Twitter @BySajaHindi or email her at shindi@coloradoan.com.

Larimer County resources for victims of Sexual Assault

• Sexual Assault Victim Advocate Center: savacenter.org, Fort Collins office: 970-472-4204, Greeley office: 970-506-405924-hour rape crisis hotline: 970-472-4200
• ChildSafe Colorado: childsafecolorado.org, office: 970-472-4133
• Voices Carry Child Advocacy Center: voicescarrycac.org, office: 970-407-9739
• CSU Women and Gender Advocacy Center: wgac.colostate.edu, office: 970-491-6384, 24-hour victim assistance: 970-492-4242
• Alternatives to Violence, alternativestoviolence.org, office: 970-669-5110, after hours crisis hotline: 970-880-1000 
• Crossroads Safehouse: crossroadssafehouse.org, office: 970-530-2353, 24-hour hotline: 970-482-3502

Eighth Judicial District Felony Filing Statistics

• 2017 (through November)
  Adult: 120
  Juvenile: 48
• 2016
  Adult: 150
  Juvenile:  132
• 2015
  Adult: 140
  Juvenile: 37
• 2014
  Adult: 129
  Juvenile: 64
• 2013
  Adult: 128
  Juvenile: 28
• 2012
  Adult: 113
  Juvenile: 53
• 2011
  Adult: 125
  Juvenile: 45
• 2010
  Adult: 135
  Juvenile: 27
• 2009
  Adult: 153
  Juvenile: 23

SOURCE: Felony statistics, District Attorney's Office

By the Numbers: Sexual assault reports

• 2008:
  Fort Collins Police Services: 197
  Loveland Police Department: 74
  Larimer County Sheriff's Office: 79
  CSU Police Department: 6 (2 harassment)
   
• 2009:
  Fort Collins Police Services:209
  Loveland Police Department: 88
  Larimer County Sheriff's Office: 81
  CSU Police Department: 10 (5 harassment)
   
• 2010:
  Fort Collins Police Services: 202
  Loveland Police Department: 88
  Larimer County Sheriff's Office: 74
  CSU Police Department: 7 (3 harassment)
   
• 2011:
  Fort Collins Police Services: 138
  Loveland Police Department: 83
  Larimer County Sheriff's Office: 62
  CSU Police Department: 7 (5 harassment)
   
• 2012:
  Fort Collins Police Services: 97
  Loveland Police Department: 77
  Larimer County  Sheriff's Office: 48
  CSU Police Department: 11 (3 harassment)
   
• 2013: 
  Fort Collins Police Services: 94
  Loveland Police Department: 74
  Larimer County Sheriff's Office: 50
  CSU Police Department: 14 (3 harassment)
   
• 2014:
  Fort Collins Police Services: 98
  Loveland Police Department: 88
  Larimer County Sheriff's Office: 71
  CSU Police Department: 11 (3 harassment)
   
• 2015: 
  Fort Collins Police Services: 54
  Loveland Police Department: 79
  Larimer County Sheriff's Office: 69
  CSU Police Department: 11 (7 harassment)
   
• 2016:
  Fort Collins Police Services: 65
  Loveland Police Department: 91
  Larimer County Sheriff's Office: 56
  CSU Police Department: 8 (2 harassment)

SOURCES: Larimer County Sheriff's Office, Loveland Police Department, Fort Collins Police Services, Colorado State University Police Department crime records