Turns out I live in the rape capital of America

[BainsBane]

Minneapolis.





Yikes. I knew we were sometimes called "Murderapolis," but I've never heard us called Rapeapolis.

Here you can see how your city ranks according to 2011 stats.

Go to the column for forcible rape and click to sort according to the highest and lowest rates.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_cities_by_crime_rate

[ismnotwasm]

1. Argh! That "Forcible Rape" term

Good lord thats a high number; and that would be reported rapes as well as any other criteria they have to actually deign to refer to sexual assault as rape. Yikes.

My city, Seattle had 16.2. I hate stats like these with decimals. I'm too lazy right now to look up tithe methodology.

[BainsBane]

2. I guess that's what you call "legitimate rape"

[niyad]

3. the city where I live is worse than denver--look at the rates for SF and SD and bakersfield.

[Just Saying]

4. Looks like Cleveland's #3

Wow.

[BainsBane]

5. Chilling to learn how prevalent rape is in your area, isn't it?

[Just Saying]

6. Very disturbing.

I was on a jury for a rape trial in Cleveland last year.

[BainsBane]

7. Were you really?

Was the defendant convicted?

[Just Saying]

8. Yes he was.

Took about a week between jury selection, the trial and our deliberation but he was convicted of rape, kidnapping and burglary with gun stipulations. Victim and accused were both only 18 at time of the crime and 19 at trial. He got 12 years.

[BainsBane]

9. That's good

It must have been quite an experience.

[Just Saying]

12. Absolutely

I can say that my fellow jurors and I all worked hard to follow our instructions and the law. It was good in that I feel like it was fair but emotionally draining.

And even after that I think rape is incredibly hard to prove. Our victim was an excellent witness and had several things to help back up her story.

[nomorenomore08]

11. Somehow I suspect that if they gave out more double-digit sentences for rape we wouldn't be seeing

quite so many "Steubenvilles"...

[Just Saying]

13. Yes,

But rape continues to be his word against her's and so hard to prove. Most rape victims aren't beaten so the suspects can always claim it was consensual.

If it wasn't for the videos and communications in Steubenville, as well as the victim's age, I'm afraid there would not have been convictions.

Sad.

[nomorenomore08]

10. Yikes. Sorry to hear that.

Just another reminder (for me) of what a dangerous, frightening world we live in...