Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2621549 in Books
• Published on: 2003
• Format: Import
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

Customer Reviews

Jane Doe is finally getting her say
How do you comment on a story from someone's life? To read or hear about it you'd think it was the next big drama out of Hollywood starring Nicole Kidman: One woman against the criminal justice system. Regretfully, it's real life. This is the story of one woman whose life has affected all women without most of them even knowing it.

In 1986 Jane Doe was raped by a man who climbed up and broke in through her locked balcony. This man had committed the same crime against five other women in the neighbourhood. The crimes were never reported to the women in the area so they could take extra precautions to protect themselves. In fact to hear Jane tell it, she and the other women in her neighbourhood were used as bait. "The police did not issue a warning because of their belief that women would become hysterical and jeopardize the investigation." It's hard to enjoy reading about something like this. As a woman, it's hard not to become emotional and angry with a system put in place to protect.

When she called the police for help she was interrogated, then taken to a hospital to be poked and prodded (did you know the majority of rape kit results are never used in trials?). Then interrogated again numerous times by different people about the rape. Each time having to relive the event.

There's so much behind the story but basically she and a small group of friends took it upon themselves to warn the community by putting up posters about the rapist. Jane Doe quickly became known as a -trouble maker- amongst the police involved with her case because she was not following their protocol. Shortly after the poster war her assailant was arrested and she was put on trial to convict him. She was put on trial. She was interrogated yet again by the police, prosecutors, and the media.

After a strenuous battle, she won the right to be present at her trial instead out of view in the hall. She won the right to watch her attacker being tried. Because of this she learned about the many secrets behind police investigations which violated her rights. After her degrading trial and treatment by the police, she somehow discovered the nerve to sue the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force.

Again she had to relive every aspect of her rape and prove she wasn't some hysterical, depressed feminist with a grudge against men.

The book is depressing, sure, but I was riveted by her treatment not only as a woman but as a human being. Men, women, lawyers, law enforcement put into question her motives. Surprisingly she was able to find a few people to build a support group. Many did not stay. She was in effect, alone. Her civil suit took eleven years. The stamina this woman must have had to go through this every day for eleven years. She had to wait to be proven right or wrong and have everyone look at her like she was a leper. She didn't have a choice. It was her life and she didn't want anyone else to go through the harassment she experienced.

This book is for any woman who has had to think twice about walking into a darkened parking lot, or talking to strangers, or hanging out with a couple of male friends. OK, basically every woman that exists and this books is also for the 3 out 4 men who wouldn't commit rape if they had the chance and could get away with it. This book is a tool against rape and against the system that supports it. The Story of Jane Doe really shows why - 90 percent of the women who are sexually assaulted still choose not to report".

Throughout you never know the identity of Jane Doe or the rapist. The names are blacked out of the numerous paper clippings included to show media standing. This book isn't just about Jane Doe's story. It educates readers on rape. For educational purposes and to help understand a system run by men, she goes into detail about how the degrees of rape are determined to be violent or non-violent, each carrying a different level of punishment. Because Jane Doe was not stabbed or cut, beat or mutilated her rape was considered non-violent. Hello? The man held her down in her own bed, in the privacy of her own home and thrust his penis into her without her consent. Sounds violent to me.

The transcripts and journal entries are laced with drawings and sketches, some by Jane Doe and some by Shary Boyle. While some were obvious, others were over my head and made no sense whatsoever but I did get a kick out of the psychologist holding up an ink spot of a vagina.

There are two sides to every story as well as individual perspectives. Everyone thinks their side is the right one. Is Jane right? She does use documented data from court reports, news files etc. Her side is believable. I winced at the beginning of the book where a few chapters were written from the perspective of the officers involved in her case. In these chapters Jane Doe speaks from what she felt was their perspective. Obviously no one could know what they were thinking (and she admits to this) but these views actually give more insight into what Jane Doe was feeling by their presence and actions.

There were periods where I was lost or bored, like when she spieled on about what is and isn't feminism. Most importantly The Story of Jane Doe raises questions about our legal system, how rape is defined, how law enforcement is trained and how victims and convicts are treated. It shows how women can and should take charge of their lives after an attack.

Even though we don't know who she is, these are her words, her story, and after being repeatedly misquoted in the media and elsewhere Jane Doe is finally getting her say. You should pick up a copy and have a listen. (...)