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UNM rape stats deceptive

Myers: Women reluctant to file police reports

Five rapes were reported to UNM police in 2003, but according to statistics from the Albuquerque Rape Crisis Center, 140 college-aged women in Albuquerque reported being raped in 2004.

The statistics, released in early January, reported that women aged 18 to 24 had the highest incidence of rape.

Cmdr. James Daniels of the UNM Police Department said the campus statistics haven't changed much since 2003.

"The reports have been pretty steady," he said.

He said the 2004 UNM crime statistics will not be available until October.

Women who are raped are hesitant to file police reports for a lot of reasons, said Shayla Myers, a spokeswoman for the Albuquerque Rape Crisis Center.

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"One reason has to do with media coverage, because police reports are public," she said. "There is a huge distrust of the system, whether it's real or perceived."

Molly McCoy Brack, director of Agora Crisis Center at UNM, said women may be hesitant to report rapes because of the negative stigma attached.

"Many women are ashamed of what happened to them, and there is always that chance that people won't believe them when they do come forward," she said.

She said women might also be afraid the case could come to trial.

"Getting up and reliving the story in great detail is hard," she said. "That can be so emotionally painful for women."

Myers said due to high-profile cases, such as the Kobe Bryant trial, women can be intimidated to file police reports, though the number of calls the Albuquerque Rape Crisis Center receives has gone up.

"Calls have gone up tremendously in the past year," Myers said. "We had around 1,600 calls last year compared to 1,300 the previous year."

She accredits people having courage to seek out their services rather than go to police for the rise in calls.

"Sometimes people don't think what happened to them is a crime, or they feel they don't deserve to be helped," she said.

McCoy Brack said less than 5 percent of the calls they receive are from women who have been sexually assaulted.

"We don't get a lot of them because the Albuquerque Rape Crisis Center is so well known and does a good job," she said.

When Agora does receive those calls, Brack said they usually refer them to the center.

Daniels said he encourages all women who have been raped to file a report but can't explain why the numbers are low.

"I can't get into the victim's head, but we always want them to come in," he said.

According to the statistics, 64 percent of the victims reported being raped by people they know, including date rape.

Myers said alcohol plays a big role in those numbers.

"That is the No. 1 date-rape drug," she said. "It is definitely used to make victims more vulnerable. It happens a lot at parties."

The average age of perpetrators varies between children and the elderly, Myers said, but younger people make up the majority.

"We don't keep good statistics on that, but it peaks at 18 to 24," she said.

Myers said the center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and confidentiality is guaranteed.

"The center has no obligation to report sexual violence to the police," she said.

It has 13 staff members and more than 40 volunteers, Myers said, but is in need of more help.

"We are always looking for more volunteers," she said.

2004 Rape Statistics for Central New Mexico

Gender of victim

Female - 93 percent

Male - 7 percent

Gender of offender

Male - 99 percent

Female - less than 1 percent

Victim's relationship to perpetrator

Stranger - 29 percent

Relative - 7 percent

Known non-relative - 64 percent (includes acquaintances, friends, roommates and partners)

Information provided by the Albuquerque Rape Crisis Center

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