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 Kelowna RCMP when she was 48 years old.

A year later, she was told by investigators that there wasn害羞草研究所檛 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 Kelowna, appears to be a common story many survivors of sexual assault have encountered.

READ MORE: Forty per cent of sexual assaults in Kelowna deemed 害羞草研究所榰nfounded害羞草研究所� in 2018

READ MORE: Elizabeth Fry Society launches #SPEAKOUT campaign in Kelowna

According to Statistics Canada, nearly 40 per cent of sexual assaults reported to Kelowna RCMP were deemed 害羞草研究所渦nfounded害羞草研究所� 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 Kelowna who claimed they were sexually assaulted but were never able to find justice.

Heather is one of those victims.

害羞草研究所淜elowna has a problem,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭here is no such thing as justice in this city for survivors and victims of sexual assault.害羞草研究所�

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害羞草研究所檚 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.

害羞草研究所淭he last thing I remember was sitting on the couch drinking,害羞草研究所� Heather said. 害羞草研究所淩umours are that I was drugged.害羞草研究所�

Heather said when she woke up the next day, she was 害羞草研究所渟ore everywhere,害羞草研究所� and she 害羞草研究所渏ust knew害羞草研究所� she had been assaulted.

Upon returning to school the following Monday, she had been deemed a 害羞草研究所渟lut害羞草研究所� by her classmates.

It took Heather害羞草研究所檚 friends 害羞草研究所� whom she now refers to using air quotes 害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所渇riends害羞草研究所� wouldn害羞草研究所檛 divulge the name of the third culprit.

According to Heather, the RCMP害羞草研究所檚 initial investigation was limited to a single phone call, which was made to the wrong person with the same name as her assailant.

害羞草研究所淗e denied knowing me. They closed the case,害羞草研究所� said Heather, reliving the frustration she felt.

Feeling unheard, she decided to go up the chain of command.

害羞草研究所淚 spoke with someone who knows how to fight the RCMP,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淗e did some digging and he found out that they had just randomly phoned some guy with the same name.害羞草研究所�

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 害羞草研究所� less than a year after it was opened.

READ MORE: Kelowna mayor proud of his first year in office after re-election despite community pushback

READ MORE: Former Kelowna social worker sued again for allegedly stealing from foster children

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.

害羞草研究所淚 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,害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檝e screamed at the officers handling her case.

害羞草研究所淚 tried so f害羞草研究所攌ing hard to keep it together when I reported,害羞草研究所� 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.

害羞草研究所淚 was 15 and I was unconscious. How would I have consented?害羞草研究所� She said.

害羞草研究所淚 walked into that office and I害羞草研究所檇 had 32 years to resolve my trauma害羞草研究所�I can害羞草研究所檛 imagine being a fresh survivor and having to deal with them.害羞草研究所�

According to Heather, the RCMP is 害羞草研究所渟teeped in rape culture害羞草研究所� and systemic change is needed in the way sexual assault cases are handled, adding she wasn害羞草研究所檛 surprised 40 per cent of sexual assault cases in 2018 were deemed 害羞草研究所渦nfounded害羞草研究所� by the RCMP in Kelowna.

害羞草研究所淲e need proper sexual assault investigators in this city and we need cops who understand what rape culture is and how they害羞草研究所檙e contributing to it,害羞草研究所� said Heather.

She slammed the police force for its poor training practices and described the current situation as an 害羞草研究所渆pidemic.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e need proper training; we need to hire better RCMP officers to begin with害羞草研究所�they need to be empathetic and they need to care about this epidemic because it is an epidemic.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淲hile we do hold police to a higher standard, they害羞草研究所檙e still part of our culture and there are a lot of myths around sexual assault,害羞草研究所� she said.

She cited familiar tropes such as 害羞草研究所渨omen ask for it害羞草研究所� or 害羞草研究所渟he shouldn害羞草研究所檛 have been drinking害羞草研究所� as unfortunate myths that are still perpetuated in society that place the blame on victims instead of putting the blame on the assailants.

害羞草研究所淭hose come out when somebody reports a sexual assault,害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檚 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 害羞草研究所渟ubstantial likelihood of conviction.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e the RCMP know that sexual assault is a devastating crime that has traumatic and long-lasting effects on victims,害羞草研究所� read the statement.

害羞草研究所淢oreover, a poor experience with police investigators can bring more trauma to victims and discourage others from reporting these crimes.

害羞草研究所淲e are committed to strengthening police training and awareness, investigative accountability, victim support and public education and communication.害羞草研究所�

The RCMP said it is committed to ensuring sexual assault survivors feel comfortable coming forward.

害羞草研究所淲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,害羞草研究所� said the RCMP statement.

While those words might bring comfort to some sexual assault survivors, for Heather, it害羞草研究所檚 too little, too late.

害羞草研究所淜elowna is an incredibly toxic city when it comes to this stuff. It hasn害羞草研究所檛 changed since I was 15.害羞草研究所�

michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
Like us on and follow us on .