Women, particularly women of color, are too often on the receiving end of abuse – not just from men in general, but specifically from men claiming to love them, or men who are supposed to be protecting them. For thirteen women in Oklahoma City, that man was Officer Daniel Holtzclaw who, after having been convicted of 18 counts of counts of rape, sexual battery, and assorted other crimes against black women he was targeting, has been sentenced to 263 years in prison.
And the world rejoiced. Actually – the world hasn’t done much of anything, which is a huge problem. According to a BBC News story on the trial from November 2015:
The story was huge when it broke, so local FOX25 reporter Tom George was surprised when he walked into the courtroom for the first day of Holtzclaw’s trial last week.
“The first week, it was almost empty,” says George. “I think there was an assumption that it would be packed.”
There has also been minimal national media attention for the trial, as pointed out many times on social media, sometimes with the hashtag #BlackWomenMatter.
It seems that, because these women were black, poor, and in some cases were dealing with drug abuse or prior crimes, the story didn’t travel very far, making them the “perfect” targets for Holtzclaw in the first place. Even better (or worse, depending on your POV), Holtzclaw’s jury was all-white and all-male. This could have gone very wrong. Thankfully…it didn’t.
You can check out these women’s stories over at Buzzfeed, but he not only sexually assaulted them in various ways, he continued to abuse his power by following them around the neighborhood, intimidating them, as well as family or friends, into silence. Holtzclaw was fired from the OKC police force in January 2015 for the multiple charges brought up against him. He was convicted for 18 of them back in December. He cried many a tear on that day:
Leading me to think:
Today’s sentencing was delayed for over three hours as Holtzclaw’s lawyer attempted to request a new trial, suggesting that important evidence never made it into this trial. However, it was later revealed/admitted that this “evidence’ was hearsay and based entirely on “office talk” among cops. So the judge was like NOPE. No new trial.
Here’s Holtzclaw being walked into sentencing being followed by the angry questions of a female reporter. Sadly, no water-works display this time:
Daniel Holtzclaw entered and went straight back to the judges chambers #danielholtzclaw pic.twitter.com/p6XhkZn4TM
— Adam Kemp (@Adam_WK) January 21, 2016
Then, three of the victims came forward and were given the chance to testify about how what Holtzclaw did affected their lives:
J.L.: “The trauma affected every aspect of my being.” “I ask he receive the entire 263 years.”
— jessica testa (@jtes) January 21, 2016
Second #Holtzclaw victim: “There will never be a day that I will not think about the day that I was violated by this man.”
— Aaron Franco (@AFrancoTX) January 21, 2016
S.E. says Holtzclaw “messed up so many women’s lives, including mine … He deserves what he gets.”
— jessica testa (@jtes) January 21, 2016
And then this nugget from Patricia Santos, one of the reporters in the room:
Third victim now making a statement… Holtzclaw is trying to make eye contact with them.
— Patricia Santos (@KOCOPATTY) January 21, 2016
This is the stare down I was talking about earlier, #holtzclaw glaring at victims as they read the impact statements pic.twitter.com/QCUnPLGphJ
— Patricia Santos (@KOCOPATTY) January 21, 2016
He totally looks like an innocent dude, right?
White police officer, all-male all-white jury, and the victims being poor black women of various circumstances and with various histories (some of which includes other crimes). This could have gone so wrong. Too often women like these aren’t believed, or are made to feel like they brought it on themselves.
But the Oklahoma City police force fired his corrupt, raping ass, and a jury of his peers found him guilty, then sentenced him to literal centuries in prison. This is how it’s done. This is what should happen all the time. And now we all have the pleasure of watching Holtzclaw shuffling off to prison as we’re like:
Here’s hoping that these women can get their lives back together, secure in the knowledge that this scumbag of a human can never be in a position to hurt them again.
(via Jezebel, image via Shutterstock)
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