Woman Reports Rape, Jailed for Old Warrant

Imagine that you’ve endured the dangerous and devastating effects of being raped. You go to the police. During the investigation of the crime that was committed against you, the police turn around and slap the cuffs on you. You spend the next two days in jail on a old warrant accusing you of failing to pay restitution for a 2003 juvenile theft arrest.

The Associated Press is reporting that a 21-year-old Tampa college student has undergone that very scenario. Oh, and just to add some more salt to her wounds, while in jail, the victim was denied a second dose of the morning-after contraceptive pill because of the jail worker's religious convictions.

The unidentified woman was in Tampa for an annual pirate-themed parade that draws thousands of people. She said she was walking alone to her car when a man pulled her behind a building and raped her.

Remember one of our most important Rape Escape principles: Stay with people, go to people. Do not let yourself be taken to a more private spot (like behind a building). You can expect that you will always be threatened. He will likely threaten you with something along the lines of, “Don’t make a sound and you won’t get hurt” or “Do what I say or I’ll kill you”. Don’t believe him. Stay where there are people or where someone can see and hear you.

For more women’s self-defense information, go to www.rapeescape.com.