DFL-endorsed candidate Erin Murphy pledges if elected governor, she’ll work with law enforcement to make sure an investigator is assigned to every sex-assault complaint. Murphy says, “It is not something to be swept under the rug. It is something to be considered with that level of severity, just like a homicide.” She says sex assault investigations should have higher priority than low-level, non-violent drug offenses. Her comments are in response to news reports of what some call a statewide crisis in how law enforcement investigates sex crimes.
Survivor and advocate Abby Honold says in her case, the investigator wanted to believe she was lying. “The easiest way to root out false accusations is to fully investigate every report,” she says. Honold adds people who make false accusations should be held accountable, and the best way to do that is to fully investigate.
Sarah Super with “Break the Silence” says, “The failures of our criminal justice system in part reflect a rape culture that we live in, a much broader problem than just what’s happening on the criminal or legal level.”
Excerpts from Monday’s news conference (starts with reporter’s question):