Heather was 15 years old when she was gang-raped.
For more than 30 years, she lived with the shame and anger of her trauma until she finally decided to report it to the 琉璃神社 RCMP when she was 48 years old.
A year later, she was told by investigators that there wasn鈥檛 enough evidence and her case was closed, leaving her with more questions than answers and a sense of betrayal by those who are supposed to serve and protect.
Her experience with the police, like so many others in 琉璃神社, appears to be a common story many survivors of sexual assault have encountered.
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According to Statistics Canada, nearly 40 per cent of sexual assaults reported to 琉璃神社 RCMP were deemed 鈥渦nfounded鈥� in 2018.
That number is more than double the 15 per cent average across the province and dwarfs the under five per cent averages in Vancouver and Victoria.
The alarming statistic represents 35 victims in 琉璃神社 who claimed they were sexually assaulted but were never able to find justice.
Heather is one of those victims.
鈥溋鹆裆� has a problem,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here is no such thing as justice in this city for survivors and victims of sexual assault.鈥�
Heather, whose last name the Capital News has agreed to keep anonymous, was in Grade 10 at a party with some friends on spring break when she was allegedly gang-raped.
While she鈥檚 not sure if she was drugged, she said it was at that party in April 1986, where she was found unconscious and barricaded in a room with three of her classmates who sexually assaulted her.
鈥淭he last thing I remember was sitting on the couch drinking,鈥� Heather said. 鈥淩umours are that I was drugged.鈥�
Heather said when she woke up the next day, she was 鈥渟ore everywhere,鈥� and she 鈥渏ust knew鈥� she had been assaulted.
Upon returning to school the following Monday, she had been deemed a 鈥渟lut鈥� by her classmates.
It took Heather鈥檚 friends 鈥� whom she now refers to using air quotes 鈥� 32 years to tell her the names of two of the alleged culprits, allowing her to file a police report with the RCMP in September 2018.
She said her 鈥渇riends鈥� wouldn鈥檛 divulge the name of the third culprit.
According to Heather, the RCMP鈥檚 initial investigation was limited to a single phone call, which was made to the wrong person with the same name as her assailant.
鈥淗e denied knowing me. They closed the case,鈥� said Heather, reliving the frustration she felt.
Feeling unheard, she decided to go up the chain of command.
鈥淚 spoke with someone who knows how to fight the RCMP,鈥� she said.
鈥淗e did some digging and he found out that they had just randomly phoned some guy with the same name.鈥�
After demanding a more thorough investigation, Heather said the RCMP made two additional phone calls to both of the men she accused, only for them to deny the allegations and the case to be closed in August 2019 鈥� less than a year after it was opened.
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Adding insult to injury, to this day, Heather said she is still seen as a slut by her classmates and feels betrayed by those she called her friends and classmates.
She even wrote a letter to them explaining the pain she felt when they looked the other way the day she needed them most.
鈥淚 did not have a good time. I did not deserve what those boys did to me, but more than that, I did not deserve what you all did to me after. I was raped and you all either covered it up or created a narrative where I was a slut and liked it,鈥� reads an excerpt from the letter she wrote to her classmates entitled Happy 30th Reunion.
Still raw from her embittered battle with law enforcement, Heather said there were times she could鈥檝e screamed at the officers handling her case.
鈥淚 tried so f鈥攌ing hard to keep it together when I reported,鈥� she said.
At one point, during what she described as a very intimidating reporting process, Heather said she was asked whether or not she consented.
鈥淚 was 15 and I was unconscious. How would I have consented?鈥� She said.
鈥淚 walked into that office and I鈥檇 had 32 years to resolve my trauma鈥 can鈥檛 imagine being a fresh survivor and having to deal with them.鈥�
According to Heather, the RCMP is 鈥渟teeped in rape culture鈥� and systemic change is needed in the way sexual assault cases are handled, adding she wasn鈥檛 surprised 40 per cent of sexual assault cases in 2018 were deemed 鈥渦nfounded鈥� by the RCMP in 琉璃神社.
鈥淲e need proper sexual assault investigators in this city and we need cops who understand what rape culture is and how they鈥檙e contributing to it,鈥� said Heather.
She slammed the police force for its poor training practices and described the current situation as an 鈥渆pidemic.鈥�
鈥淲e need proper training; we need to hire better RCMP officers to begin with鈥hey need to be empathetic and they need to care about this epidemic because it is an epidemic.鈥�
Michelle Novakowski, executive director for the Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society, agreed that more training needs to be given to police officers handling sensitive crimes, however, she said RCMP officers are still human and fallible.
鈥淲hile we do hold police to a higher standard, they鈥檙e still part of our culture and there are a lot of myths around sexual assault,鈥� she said.
She cited familiar tropes such as 鈥渨omen ask for it鈥� or 鈥渟he shouldn鈥檛 have been drinking鈥� as unfortunate myths that are still perpetuated in society that place the blame on victims instead of putting the blame on the assailants.
鈥淭hose come out when somebody reports a sexual assault,鈥� she said.
Novakowski said the Elizabeth Fry Society has been working with the RCMP for a couple of years on developing a trauma-informed practice, but says more work still needs to be done.
The RCMP declined an interview request, but in a statement said the investigation into Heather鈥檚 case was concluded because the evidence did not meet the threshold to lay a charge.
That threshold, according to RCMP, is set out by the attorney general and must include the 鈥渟ubstantial likelihood of conviction.鈥�
鈥淲e the RCMP know that sexual assault is a devastating crime that has traumatic and long-lasting effects on victims,鈥� read the statement.
鈥淢oreover, a poor experience with police investigators can bring more trauma to victims and discourage others from reporting these crimes.
鈥淲e are committed to strengthening police training and awareness, investigative accountability, victim support and public education and communication.鈥�
The RCMP said it is committed to ensuring sexual assault survivors feel comfortable coming forward.
鈥淲e want to ensure that all survivors of sexual assault feel comfortable bringing their allegations to the RCMP, receive the same standard of care regardless of jurisdiction, and trust investigators to thoroughly and professionally investigate these crimes,鈥� said the RCMP statement.
While those words might bring comfort to some sexual assault survivors, for Heather, it鈥檚 too little, too late.
鈥溋鹆裆� is an incredibly toxic city when it comes to this stuff. It hasn鈥檛 changed since I was 15.鈥�
michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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