Police handling of Internet-related rape criticized by women's advocates

SPARKS, Nev. - Women's rights advocates on Sunday called for an independent investigation into the Sparks Police Department's handling of an Internet-related rape case.

The victim, a 24-year-old University of Nevada, Reno student, claims police called her a liar and did nothing about her complaints until after a 17-year-old girl was similarly assaulted by the same suspects two months later.

Two 25-year-old Sparks men, Timothy Mobly and Aaron Cross, were charged last week in the Nov. 6 case involving the UNR student and the Jan. 2 case involving the 17-year-old. In both cases, the suspects were charged with assaulting the women after meeting them on the Internet.

Lisa Appelrouth Guzman, director of the Reno-based Nevada Empowered Women's Project, faulted investigators' for their alleged refusal to believe the UNR student.

"I don't know why there's this tendency not to believe women (in rape cases)," she said. "It's very scary and depressing and could perpetuate the cycle of violence against women."

Jan Gilbert of the Nevada Progressive Leadership Alliance said the department's handling of the case should be investigated by an outside group.

The case demonstrates the need for police review boards, a proposal pushed by her group, she added.

"I'm very surprised they wouldn't follow through and trust a young woman's complaint. That's terrible," Gilbert said. "This sort of thing should be investigated, and it should be done by an impartial group."

A police spokesman said investigators would be unable to return phone calls until Tuesday. Another police official refused last week to comment on the UNR woman's case.

Washoe County Deputy District Attorney Daniel Greco also refused to comment.

However, Greco said he did not receive a request for charges to be filed from Sparks police on her case until after the Jan. 2 case.

The UNR student told the Daily Sparks Tribune that police did not arrest the suspects after she reported the incident. Instead, police refused to believe her until after the latest incident, she said.

"That 17-year-old girl never had to have this happen to her," she told the Tribune.

The handling of the case demonstrates the need for changes in police attitudes, Guzman said.

"I'm sure she's not the first (rape victim to be ignored) and I'm sure she won't be the last," Guzman said. "I think it's something that needs to be taken into consideration by law enforcement authorities."

Gilbert agreed: "Everybody makes mistakes but this is a serious problem. It makes police ripe for lawsuits."

archive