Holtzclaw’s attorney made those issues a cornerstone of his defense strategy.
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Hill also added that she did not do anything wrong and had no record, she added that she was innocent – it was just that he picked the wrong lady that night. “I kept begging, ‘Sir, don’t make me do this, don’t make me do this, sir”. During a month-long trial, they formed a bleak parade of 13 witnesses who accused a former Oklahoma City officer of using his badge to coerce sex acts and rape. The trial included an all-white jury of mostly men, which statistically puts the black, female defendants at a disadvantage.
An all-white jury that deliberated for more than 45 hours over four days acquitted Holtzclaw of 18 of the 36 charges he faced involving the assaults. “He targeted women that he clearly viewed as throwaways, women who he knew would not be believed”. He could spend the rest of his life in prison based on the jury’s recommendations, which include a 30-year sentence on each of the first-degree rape counts.
“I didn’t do it”, said Holtzclaw, who broke down in tears on Thursday when the guilty verdict was read. “I was out there alone and helpless…” Holtzclaw drove her to her family’s home and walked her to the porch, where he told her he had to search her. She said he grabbed her breasts, then pulled down her pink shorts and raped her.
Most of the women who testified against the former cop said that they did not think going to the police with their experiences would have any effect.
The allegations against Holtzclaw brought new attention to the problem of sexual misconduct committed by law enforcement officers, something police chiefs have studied for years.
A yearlong Associated Press investigation into sexual misconduct by police officers in the USA found almost 1,000 police officers lost their jobs over a six-year period for rape and sexual assault. It’s an epidemic, and a blot on society that keeps women fearful that if they come forward about their rape they will only be re-traumatized as every aspect of who they are gets twisted around against them.
Grace Franklin, activist and co-founder of OKC Artists For Justice, who has been organizing support for the victims, said there is a tendency for people not to believe black women and disenfranchised women. The case and the trial exposed some uncomfortable realities about race, gender, and power. Holtzclaw is half-white, half-Japanese. All his accusers are black. To Davis, the account sounded remarkably similar to another assault complaint from about five weeks earlier – perhaps the same police officer was responsible.
Advocates like Dickerson in Oklahoma City said they are hopeful justice can be served again for black women, but want more of them to feel comfortable to report all forms of violence they may face.
But what really has the public in disgust is Holtzclaw’s reaction upon hearing his sentence. And even when convictions are won in cases where rape was the most serious charge, 11 percent don’t go to prison.
Activists and analysts accused mainstream media outlets of failing to cover the case because the women weren’t “perfect” victims.
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But her courage returned: Of the 13 black women who would later testify they’d been sexually assaulted by Holtzclaw, Ligons was the first to report the officer to the authorities. “And, you know, I’m handcuffed to a bed”. As a cop, Holtzclaw positioned himself above women who have far fewer resources and less cultural capital than him.
