THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 18, 1994 TAG: 9406180216
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY MARGARET TALEV, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940618 LENGTH: MANTEO
Fresh out of college or high school, they come to the beaches for a week or a summer to be a part of it, to get away from the familiar ties that bind: parents, school, boyfriends, girlfriends.
{REST} But sometimes it all goes wrong.
Sexual assault specialist Gail Hutchison knows this all too well. And she and other crisis counselors are warning that the party atmosphere of the Outer Banks can lead to date and acquaintance rape.
Drugs or alcohol usually are involved.
``One night of hoo-hah can turn into a nightmare,'' said Lynn Bryant, executive director of the Outer Banks Hotline. ``You can put yourself in harm's way by the choices you make.''
And Hutchison, the hotline's sexual assault specialist, said that while the majority of the victims are between 16 and 20, older visitors can be victims, too.
``It's older people now who are back in the dating scene - 40- and 50-year-olds. Alcohol is used a lot more in dating now,'' she said.
Kill Devil Hills Police Lt. Bill Walker said drugs and alcohol have been involved in every date rape case he has investigated.
Walker said that, in cases when a woman was too drunk to be coherent, she may have a tough time getting a judge or jury to convict the accused. ``If the lady has no idea what went on, how can she testify to what went on?''
Bryant agreed that when drugs and alcohol are involved ``it's really hard to get a conviction, to convince a jury.''
How does the legal system differentiate between accusers who are made to have sex against their wishes, and those who simply regret having had sex?
Walker said that in North Carolina, the accused cross the line when they have intercourse without their partner's consent. According to Walker, the best way for people to avoid being charged with rape is to wait for their partners to volunteer the word ``yes'' and to make sure their partners are sober or mentally capable of making that decision.
Walker said some acquaintance rape involves violence, but most cases begin with a couple who has drinks at a bar or party, then goes back to one of their homes.
After intercourse, ``he's thinking everything's fine,'' Walker said. ``She's thinking, `He didn't have the right to do this.' ''
Of the 2,418 rapes reported in North Carolina in 1992, more than half were acquaintance rapes, State Bureau of Investigation records show.
And although only five rapes were reported in Dare County in 1992, Hutchison said that in 1993, the crisis line received ``20 to 25 calls'' from women ``who weren't sure if what happened to them was rape or something else.'' She also said rape is the most under-reported violent crime.
When police receive a call about a date rape, they ask the accuser to make a statement, Walker said. Because rape victims can feel frightened and isolated, Hutchison and other crisis counselors are often called to police stations and hospitals to offer advice and comfort to victims.
The accuser is taken to a hospital and tested for sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy, and tests may be conducted to help confirm the identity of the attacker. But because in acquaintance rape the man generally readily admits he had intercourse with his accuser, the identity tests often are optional.
After the hospital work is complete, the Outer Banks Hotline offers to put victims in touch with an area therapist who will provide them with four free visits.
Others who know or may have seen the couple are interviewed. The accused is interviewed by an officer. And the police put together a report and meet with the district attorney.
Even if the accuser decides not to press charges, the district attorney may choose to press charges.
Most police officers who investigate rape cases are given special training by Hutchison or other specialists.
Hutchison said the hotline is for victims, but also for men who have been charged with rape, who are worried they may have forced a date to do more sexually than she wanted, or who want to talk about these issues before going on a date.
``Rape is not a women's issue. It's everyone's issue,'' she said.
The hotline also offers confidential 24-hour help to callers who want to talk about rape by a stranger, suicide, sudden death, drug abuse, domestic violence or other problems.
To call the Outer Banks Hotline, dial 919-473-3366.
{KEYWORDS} RAPE DATE RAPE ALCOHOL
by CNB