A Houston woman in her 20’s who is called “Jenny” was raped and choked by a convicted serial rapist Keith Hendricks. While testifying against him in court, she had a breakdown, became incoherent, and ran out of the courtroom saying she’d never return. The prosecutor in the case had her arrested and put in jail for threatening not to show up to testify. Her mother and her attorney thought “Jenny,” who suffers from bipolar disorder, was put into a psychiatric hospital, when if fact, she was only hospitalized for a few days then then transferred to the Harris County Jail and put into the general population. The jail staff received erroneous reports that said Jenny was the sexual abuser rather than the abused victim. While incarcerated she was beaten.
It’s one of those stories that sounds and feels surreal, yet it happened. Jenny’s attorney filed a lawsuit against the Harris County sheriff, the jail guard who allegedly hit Jenny while in jail, and the prosecutor who requested she be jailed. Jenny’s attorney says a rape victim should never be put into that environment. He adds she was put in jail without due process — without committing a crime.
Click2Houston’s Legal Analyst Brian Wice stated:
"It's astounding to me that could have happened," said Wice. "At the end of the day she received less due process, less protection than the rapist did.”
At one point while in jail, Jenny was so frustrated with her situation, she “came out of her cell with fists swinging.” She hit a guard who in turn uses a closed fist and hit her. So she was charged with assault while in jail — were she should never have been placed. The prosecutor later dropped the charges and she was released after spending a month in jail.
Former prosecutor Kim Ogg, who is running against Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson in November, believes, like many, that Jenny’s treatment was wrong.
"Putting a witness in jail on a material witness bond is highly irregular and reserved for the worst of the worst witnesses, maybe gang cases," Ogg said. "They can be protected by placing them in a hotel, you can place them with family, you can keep in contact."
"In 30 years of practice, I've never heard of a rape victim being jailed and so mistreated.”
One especially sad and disturbing part about this case is that it will give rape victims one more reason not to come forward to report their rape and/or press charges.
It’s not clear why no one has attributed Jenny’s breakdown to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is common with rape victims and would cause a breakdown and erratic behavior. It’s what can happen when you’re choked and raped.
If you or someone you know is, or has ever been, a victim of rape/sexual assault, it’s never too late to seek help. You can find free support via the National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and/or by visiting the Rape, Abuse Incest National Network/RAINN.org website online. If you are in immediate danger, please call 911. You do not have to live with horror, guilt, and/or shame. If you can hold on to one thing, remember this —It. Was. Not. Your. Fault.
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