This book presents the results of a study investigating police and justice response to women who claim to have been raped. The author begins by discussing the historical ideologies around women and rape, and how these, coupled with a male-dominated culture within the police, have affected the response to rape claims. The author then presents the findings of an examination of police files and interviews with police detectives, which gives insight into police decision-making and the methods police officers use in determining whether the woman is credible or not. Next, interviews with women who have reported or attempted to report a sexual assault to the police are discussed. Lastly, the author highlights the problems with the current response to sexual assault claims and makes a number of recommendations, such as better training for police, having staff debriefings for police, delaying statement-taking so victims have a chance to clear their heads, and providing more education for police around rape and sexual assault so officers have a better understanding of what they are dealing with.

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