By: LISA R. WILSON

In general, rape prosecutions have progressed for the better in the last 30 years. Largely due to decades of advocacy, better investigation techniques and tighter laws, more rape victims are putting their violent assailants behind bars. But in cases of non-stranger or date rape, which represents 75% of all rape cases in the United States, obtaining a guilty verdict is not so easy. “Cases where a victim knows her assailant are still extraordinarily hard to win,” says Jennifer Long, director of the National Center for the Prosecution of Violence Against Women in Alexandria, Virginia. “Juries are extremely resistant.”

A four-year study across eight states by the research and training group End Violence Against Women International found that of the rape cases prosecuted, stranger-rape cases had the best guilty-verdict odds, with 68% ending with a conviction or guilty plea. But when a woman knew her assailant (less than 24 hours), the study found only 43% of cases ended in a conviction. When they knew each other longer than 24 hours, the conviction rate fell to 35%. Even fewer, 29% of intimate partners and ex-lovers were punished. “To a juror, a rapist is a guy who jumps out of the bushes and throws a woman to the ground,” Long explains. “Anything that falls short of that story is questionable.”

According to government estimates, a mere 19% of rapes, including stranger rapes, are ever reported in the first place. As Long notes, women who have been raped find so many reasons not to call police, including denial, shame or their hazy memory due to taking drugs or alcohol.

Rape is a criminal act and should never be taken lightly. If you feel you have been the victim of rape or any other sexual assault, whether you know your assailant or not, contact the police immediately. To learn more about your litigation options, contact an experienced criminal attorney in your area today.