pickIt was interesting to learn about Marty Goddard and her advocating for rape victims. It was infuriating to learn about the attitudes toward rape at the time and the way police mistreated victims.
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The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story | 
pickIt was interesting to learn about Marty Goddard and her advocating for rape victims. It was infuriating to learn about the attitudes toward rape at the time and the way police mistreated victims.
pickThis is exactly why the title says it is. Now what I was not expecting is that this is an account more so on how the author herself searched for Marty, the actual creator of the rape kit. The book was written from her point of view, so that took some getting used to. Otherwise, the education was well put, with reference at the end. The second half was nice to look through on how the future of the tape kit continues. That it‘s still relevant
pickI had to take breaks while reading this one. The subject matter was intense and just hit too close to home. We recent (or maybe its confirmation bias) patients coming into the ED with the need for rape kits, and I just hated the language among “professionals“ regarding these women.
#NonFiction
#MeToo
#OffTheShelf2025 @Librariana
pickThis is a pacey look at the history of something I'd never thought about, just taken for granted (thinking of the language of police and medical dramas). Kennedy's book is based on an extended article, so it's a relatively quick read about a heavy subject.
I want to read more about the changes in approach and understanding of prosecuting attackers, the impact of dealing with the "rape kit backlog" and remote medicine.
Some politicians argued that survivors should be pushed into going to the hospital for their own good. Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia:...""What we need is trauma-informed care, not just the DNA. We should be encouraging women to go to a clinic...."
The problem with this logic was that so many survivors found the "trauma-informed care"' to be harrowing, and in the aftermath of an attack they didn't want to wait for ten hours in an ER ...
Feeling quite demoralised (work redundancies). This is the kind of inspiring reading that provides a bit of perspective.
pickI always love learning about trailblazing women &Goddard was certainly that. Her story has both triumph & tragedy, & her impact on the criminal justice system is still seen today.
There is a lot of the author‘s personal story intertwined throughout which I found an interesting decision given that she did not know Goddard & wasn‘t from the same generation. I commend her for being so open but did feel it took away from the flow & focus of the book.
pickA fascinating book. I applaud the author for trying so diligently trying to give credit where credit was due.
