News
Audio Presentation: “I’ve Lived With It Every Day of My Life.”
For decades in Memphis, sexual assault victims were left in the dark about what happened to the cases they reported to police.
Part 3: Special Investigative Unit Chases Predators
Massive remedial effort seeks justice for victims in neglected and overlooked rape cases
Part 2 Extra: MPD Defends ‘Bid System’ Said to Put Unqualified Officers in Sex Crimes Unit
Officials say they’ve made improvements to meet the needs of rape victims in Memphis. However, critics say a labor union contract often keeps MPD from staffing the best-qualified detectives.
Part 2 Extra: MPD’s Explanation
A police perspective on the testing of rape kits
Part 2 Extra: How Memphis Failed
A critic’s perspective of MPD’s historical failure to test rape kits
Part 2: After Decades of Waiting for Justice, Memphis Victims Say They’ve Been ‘Raped Twice’
Aging victims seek justice and the release of records to prove MPD neglected rape investigations
Part 1 Extra: Ex-Memphis Officer Recalls Filling Van, Dumping Evidence As Police Storage Space Ran Out
Thousands of sex crimes cases may have been affected
Part 1: Memphis Rape Victim Conducts Own Investigation Decades Later, Discovers Evidence Dumped In Trash
Debby Dalhoff’s unsolved attack could still be prosecuted today if not for police missteps
Special thanks to GiveCamp Memphis
GiveCamp Memphis has provided PERL with technology services that we never would have been able to afford on our own
Memphis Police Failed to Properly Investigate “Hundreds” of Rape Cases
People for the Enforcement of Rape Laws is a program of the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center to monitor law enforcement responses to sexual violence. Our goal is to end the law enforcement and political practices that effectively decriminalize sexual violence. To this end, we connect victims with information about their rights and equip individuals with tools to advocate for themselves and others and advocate for fair criminal justice policies. We urge you to learn more about America’s hidden rape crisis, where it has been exposed, and why it matters. We invite you to take action and support our efforts to make sure law enforcement takes rape seriously.