So, today I read an old article in the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman (first via Jezebel, and then via Minnesota Independent), dated May 22nd, 2000 about the signing of a sexual assault bill that would prevent law enforcement agencies from charging the victims of rape for their own rape kits.
When you read that, you may have the impulse to think, “well, that seems like a waste. On what planet exists a law enforcement agency that would feel right about charging a rape victim for their own rape kit?” But you’d be wrong.
Wasilla, Alaska Police Chief Charlie Fallon, whom Sarah Palin hired, was opposed to this bill because of the burden on the taxpayer. “In the past, we’ve charged the cost of exams to the victims insurance company when possible,” Fannon said. “I just don’t want to see any more burden put on the taxpayer.”
Except in rape trials, the victim isn’t the claimant; the state is. Doesn’t it seem fair that the state foot the bill for their investigation, rather than risking raising the victim’s insurance rates, or billing them directly?
The total “burden” on the taxpayers of Wasilla is $5,000-$14,000 a year. That is both a very low amount when you consider it is spread across taxpayers, and an astronomically high amount. On the low end at $300 per kit and $5000 per year, that is 16 rapes occuring in a town with (then) about 5500 residents. On the high end at $300 per kit and $14,000 per year, that’s over 46. That seems really high, so I was curious what the overall rape statistics are for Alaska.
Let’s compare to Minnesota:
Minnesota’s crime index rate on rapes per 100,000 between the years 2000 and 2006 ranged between 31.8 and 45.5, with a total population hovering around 5-5.1 million. For a handful of years prior to 2000, it was a little higher, so MN rates have been dropping slightly.
Alaska’s crime index rate on rapes per 100,000 between the years 2000 and 2006 ranged between 76 and 93.3 with a total population overing around 650,000. For a handful of years prior to 2000, it was lower. Alaska rates are going up.
Holy shit.
If their regular practice prior to this bill was to charge the victim for the rape kit, I think it’s pretty safe to say that a lot of assaults went unreported out of fear of having to cough up the dough, in addition to the regular percentage of assaults that go unreported for other reasons. When you consider their extremely high rates already, that’s scary.
Why does it freak me out? Palin has gone on the record stating that hiring Fannon was “the best decision [she] ever made.” Yowza. Wouldn’t want to know what her worst decision was.
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The rape kit is just one of the costs of being raped in Sarah Palin’s America. She’d also force raped women to carry pregnancies caused by rape (and incest) to term and handle all of the financial costs associated with doing so.
I know. It’s scary shit.