Women in the World
4.24.16 | Brigit Katz

The problem (and all of its complexities) was thrust back into the spotlight by the Rolling Stone debacle

“Consent shouldn’t be that complicated.” It’s an obvious truism. But Jon Krakauer, journalist and author of the upcoming book MISSOULA: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town, still felt the need to say it.

During a panel discussion on Friday at the Women in the World Summit panel “Is Campus Safe For Our Kids?” Krakauer was joined by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who is sponsoring legislation that would require more accountability for colleges in the prosecution of rape cases, and Annie Clark, a sexual assault survivor and founder of the organization End Rape on Campus. The panel was moderated by MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski.

The topic of campus rape has been burning through the news cycle of late. Sometimes it seems as though each new day brings another report of a horrific assault on an American college campus. Grassroots movements of students, enraged by their school’s ineffective handling of rape cases, have taken to the streets with red tape, and mattresses, and videos of support for victims. And not too long ago, a Rolling Stone story about an alleged gang rape at the University of Virginia was publicly dismantled, igniting new conversations about how we should respond to campus rape cases.

The speakers at the Women in the World Summit panel were adamant that authorities—both law enforcement and campus officials—should treat alleged rape victims with dignity and sympathy, if not with a complete lack of skepticism. “[Rape] is the only crime I know of that when it happens, it’s the victim that is interrogated with the most scrutiny and the most question,” Krakauer said.

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