Believe, even if it’s unbelievable.
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Marie Adler, 18 years of age, was doubted by many when she told people a man broke into her home in the middle of the night and raped her. She was doubted not only by her closest friends, but detectives as well. As a result, Adler retracted her story and told the police she had lied. This wasn’t because she had made it up, but because she felt bullied by police into doing so. When inconsistencies of her story were brought to her attention, she was essentially threatened by police into recanting her story. After telling police she had lied, she was then charged with making “false accusations” of rape when there wasn’t one. Today, the details of her story are shared in Netflix’s new series, ‘Unbelievable’. Although many of the names have been changed, the details are very much real.
In 2011, detectives Grace Rasmussen and Karen Duvall meet while investigating a pair of intruder rapes, similar to Adler’s . They partnered up to catch what they suspected to be a serial rapist. Once police got a warrant to search the house of their suspect, the detectives found naked photos of Adler on the rapists laptop along with the underwear of numerous women. The hard work detectives Rasmussen and Duvall put into the case ultimately led to the truth behind Adler’s story. Turns out, the suspect they were looking for was also the rapist who had assaulted Adler three years prior. Many of the victims stated to police that their rapist had brought a weapon, and that they feared he would murder them after the assault was over.
Adler’s $500 fine for making a “false report” was later refunded to her. Though, she did not settle. In 2013, she received a $150,000 settlement after suing the Lynnwood Police Department for how she was treated. Many believe that settlement should have been much higher.
She also reached a settlement with an at-risk-youth program called Cocoon House. Cocoon House oversaw her living arrangements at the time of the assault. This particular settlement isn’t shown in the series. She was threatened with eviction unless she received counselling, and told others in the program that she had lied about her rape for attention when she didn’t.
The real sexual assault survivor keeps her life private, so there are likely many details that were not revealed in the series. Since the series has been brought to the attention of many, Adler has received support from all over the world. The first part of her trauma was the assault itself, while the second was being called a liar while in her most vulnerable state. This is not the first time a survivor of sexual assault has been treated this way, and it will also not be the last. When her story sounds unbelievable, believe her.
Source: https://time.com/5674986/unbelievable-netflix-true-story/
Kimberly Tremblay
Just a girl who loves to tell stories, and uses words to do so.
