Violence Against Women, 2021, Advance online publication, 1 June 2021

Rates of sexual victimization among Indigenous women are 3 times higher when compared with non-Indigenous women. The purpose of this secondary data analysis was to explore the experiences and recommendations of Indigenous women who reported sexual assault to the police and were not believed. This qualitative study of the experiences of 11 Indigenous women reflects four themes. The women experienced (a) victimization across the lifespan, (b) violent sexual assault, (c) dismissal by police, and (d) survival and resilience. These women were determined to voice their experience and make recommendations for change in the way police respond to sexual assault. (Authors' abstract). This article reports on a secondary analysis of a larger study on women’s experiences with unfounded sexual assault (not believed by the police). A detailed description of the methodology for the primary study is cited in the original publication (Murphy-Oikonen et al., 2020). The sample included 23 women from Northwestern Ontario who experienced sexual assault, reported to the police, and no further action was taken. Record #7151