Rape conviction rate deplorable

Regarding Erin Heffernan’s article, “In 7 years, only 1 out of 56 men was convicted of rape in Beaufort County”:

This article infuriated me, but not for the reasons you would probably expect.

Yes, the fact that there has been only one rape conviction in Beaufort County since 2010 is deplorable and worthy of rage. However, the list of excuses presented by solicitor Duffie Stone, beginning with the sad rationalization that Beaufort County’s “statistics are no worse than statewide conviction rates,” is what has me seething.

According to the article, since 2010, 486 victims of sexual assault presented to Hopeful Horizons for help, 234 sexual assault cases were actually investigated. Of that 234 investigations, only 54 cases were brought to court (more than half of which were dismissed). Only five of the 54 cases went to trial and there was one conviction.

If a rape victim in Beaufort County actually goes to the police, she basically has a 1 in 234 chance of getting justice.

However, Stone is OK justifying that egregious reality by saying that Beaufort County is no worse than any other county in the state. Clearly something needs to change. Stone shouldn’t care about the rest of South Carolina or even the United States for that matter. He was elected in Beaufort County, a county that cares for the safety of women and expects justice when they are victims of sexual assault — an abhorrent and life-altering crime.

Mr. Stone, we won’t accept the status quo.

This story was originally published May 11, 2017 at 2:14 PM with the headline "Rape conviction rate deplorable."