Continued from Page 1
raped on Feb. 14 just like on any
other day of the year,” she says.
Linda wants the “Heal Your
Heart” program to reach the
silent 90 percent who don’t
report their rapes.
“I’m asking anyone who has
been raped and has not reported
it to do so," she says. “It
doesn't matter if it was two days
or two months ago."
If the case numbers are more
realistic, Linda says, the police
will “have to change the way
they treat the crime.”
Sgt. Chuck Tilby of the
Eugene Police Department sup
ports the program’s goals. He
stresses the importance of
reporting a rape and says even,if
the case is old, often identifying
an individual from a past crime
can help with a current case.
Tilby also recommends that
women report their rapes even
if they decide not to prosecute.
“We will support her deci
sion, whatever is decided." he
says.
Both Ormsbee and Tilby say
there are still many myths
shrouding rape that contribute
to the low number of reports.
Tilby says police officers also
must deal with a lot of the
myths in their own attitudes
about rape.
. “One of the traditional myths
was that rape victims are bat
tered,” Tilby says: This; is
usually hot the case. ' .....
Another myth is that rapes are
committed by strangers. Only
25 to 40 percent of rape victims
are assaulted by strangers as in
Linda's case. The majority of
rapes are committed by an ac
quaintance. often a date of the
victim.
College campuses present
special problems. Although
statistics show that 25 percent
of all college women will be
rape or attempted rape victims,
the report record is consistently
low. The University is no
exception.
"The on-campus reporting
rate is even lower than in a nor
mal community.'* Tilby says.
Since her rape, Linda has
"become dedicated to changing
the way society . views and
handles rape.
Linda says the newspaper ac
count following her attack
described her only as a 43-year
old soath Eugene woman. "I
was like every other rape vic
tim.” she says. ”1 was
nameless, faceless and
forgettable.”
But Linda chose to make her
ordeal public. She and another
woman. Margie Roberts,
discussed their rapes and the
aftermath in a Register-Guard
feature. By choice, their pic
tures and names accompanied
the article.
With the publicity she gained
from the article, l.inda has been
asked to give talks to different
rape awareness groups in town.
r
and she plans to lead a summer
retreat for women who have
been raped. She also is taking
television classes and plans to
air a monthly rape-awareness
program on Cable Access this
summer.
Linda’s life is still not back to
normal, and she doesn't know if
it ever will be. Her boyfriend of
many years now lives in Califor
nia. She still has flashbacks of
her rape, and she still searches
every male face looking for the
face of her attacker.
But she is a survivor, and this
is the focus of her program.
"I want women to know that
there's a way to win. You don't
have to feel powerless, but you
can do something to change It ."
1
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Professors raze champs
The all-star Gang of Four challenged the faculty Super
Bowlers — left to right: Jack Maddex, /ohn Farley. Kenneth
Helphand and Cheyney Ryan — Wednesday night, but the
student team took a severe beating in two rounds.
• \ The Gang of Four will compete in the regional competi
tion in the EMU on Feb. 22 against teams from Oregon.
Washington. Alaska and Idaho. ■ . - .
Photo by Harvey Young
9efrn°re facts
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