The trial of Daniel Holtzclaw, the former Oklahoma City police officer accused of assaulting 12 women and one female minor, has concluded its second week of testimony today. Holtzclaw faces life in prison if convicted on the 36 counts of rape, forcible oral sodomy, sexual battery and other crimes he is charged with.
Locally, activists and observers charge that the media has been shamefully silent on the case because the alleged victims are African American. Concerned about the lack of coverage and support for the women, supporters of Holtzclaw’s victims have organized to attend the proceedings on a daily basis.
Holtzclaw’s case was one of hundreds of police who committed sexual misconduct on the job examined by the Associated Press (AP) over the course of a year. The investigation also found that some of the conditions of police work—in Holtzclaw’s instance, working late at night with no supervision—were simply too good to pass up for officers who have predatory predilections.
Despite such documented evidence of police wrongdoing, activists and observers cite several concerns that the victims in this case will not be vindicated. The first is that the all-white, majority male jury will not be able to identify with the alleged victims. Another concern is that the aggressive questioning of the alleged victim’s credibility, as well as those of their family members may obscure who is really on trial in the case. As one of the alleged victims stated on Thursday of this week, she didn’t think anyone would believe her.
Many rape victims fear not being believed. That fear is not only unfounded, but compounded when the context of Black womens’ lives and rape culture are fully examined.
Kyle Schwab, a reporter for The Oklahoman/NewsOK, is reporting live from the courtroom. You can stay up-to-date with his coverage here.