Survivors Deserve Better. Start With Police. Start With Education.

Every day, survivors of sexual assault are met not with support, but with suspicion. Instead of being believed, they’re doubted. Instead of seeing their cases taken seriously, they’re left unheard because our criminal justice system is still deeply influenced by harmful and outdated beliefs known as rape myths.

Rape myths are false, victim-blaming ideas that distort how we understand sexual violence. These include beliefs like “only strangers commit rape,” “a victim must have done something to lead the perpetrator on,” or “false reports of rape are common.” In reality, false reports are extremely rare, only 2 to 10% according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Yet these myths shape how law enforcement and courts treat survivors, causing massive case drop-offs and retraumatization.

 Police officers frequently assess a victim’s credibility based on how closely they match stereotypes of the “perfect” victim, rather than on the evidence. Victims who were drinking, knew the perpetrator, or had emotional or mental health struggles were far more likely to be disbelieved and have their cases dismissed.

And when survivors do come forward, they often face further institutional betrayal. Horrifying cases have been documented in which police not only failed to investigate sexual assault but instead charged survivors with making false reports, despite strong evidence or trauma symptoms. Meanwhile, real perpetrators are allowed to walk free.

According to studies, sexual assault kits (vital forensic tools in prosecuting rapists) are often left untested for months or years. Some are never processed at all, simply gathering dust in evidence rooms. These backlogs represent missed opportunities for justice and put communities at risk. Survivors go through the invasive, painful process of having a rape kit collected only to find out that no one followed through.

Even when arrests are made, justice can still be out of reach. prosecutors frequently decline to charge in rape cases because they don’t believe juries will sympathize with the victim, especially in cases where the survivor and offender know each other. This means rape isn’t treated like other violent crimes, it’s treated like a courtroom gamble.

We need systemic change.

I’m signing this petition because I am tired of seeing survivors doubted, discredited, or completely disregarded. I’m tired of seeing perpetrators protected by silence, inaction, and bias. I’m tired of living in a society where victims are treated like suspects, and rapists are given the benefit of the doubt.

The change must begin with police education. Law enforcement officers need trauma-informed training that helps them understand how rape myths show up in their work, and how to avoid re-traumatizing survivors. We must also mandate the timely processing of all sexual assault kits and create accountability systems for prosecutors and judges who fail to take these cases seriously.

We’re calling on lawmakers to:

-Mandate trauma-informed, anti-rape-myth training for all police, court personnel, and prosecutors
-Fund timely processing and tracking of all sexual assault kits nationwide
-Protect victims from being criminalized for coming forward
-Create oversight structures to ensure every sexual assault case is properly and fairly investigated

This isn’t just about policy, it’s about people. Survivors deserve a justice system that listens, believes, and acts. They deserve to know that their pain matters, that their voices will be heard, and that their cases won’t be shelved, ignored, or sabotaged by bias.

We can no longer let rape myths shape our justice system. It’s time to believe survivors. It’s time to act. Sign and share this petition, because silence is not justice.

Wanting to support in other ways? 

Follow this link to donate to help support survivors: https://give.rainn.org/a/donate?_ga=2.190569442.871790484.1745442953-1341080654.1745442953 

Follow this link to get support for financial assistance to medical and anonymous reporting victims of sexual assault in Colorado: https://dcj.colorado.gov/dcj-offices/ovp/save-paymt-prgm