Can I still report this?

[jenn7222]

Back in July, my roommate's boyfriend abused me. I never felt safe reporting it then because I was too scared to. Is it still possible to report this? I have a picture of my bruises.

[ducatimom]

Why do you want to report it now?

[jenn7222]

I finally feel safe. I was scared of them and now that I don't live with that roommate anymore. I was so shaken up from that. I was afraid to report it then cause my roommate was very bipolar and knowing she would get back at me for it if I said anything then. I want to now that she doesn't know where I live at.

[Aussie George]

I am from Australia so I can't be sure about local laws for where you are, but I would bet that you are still entitled to report a matter such as that.

There is no time limit for that sort of offence here in the state in which I work in Australia. Best talk to your local PD.

What State are you in? I presume USA?

[jenn7222]

Yes, Oklahoma

[Aussie George]

When you say "abused", do you mean sexually, physically, ????

It would most likely depend on what sort of abuse, but most forms of physical abuse, whether sexual or not, would most likely mean that you can report it some time later.

Having said that, it might be harder to prove with more time passing, depending on the extent of the abuse. That is best discussed with your local PD in Oklahoma.

[jenn7222]

Physical. He and I had gone to Walmart and he had the stuff that you use to clean computer keyboards. Well he started inhaling it and I didn't know why he was doing it, but then he got really quiet. The next thing I know he is spitting in my car and on me. Then he starts punching me in the arm while I'm driving. So I can't get away from him, I move over as far away as I can get from him. His punches got harder with every hit and he hit me about 40 times. I was yelling at him trying to get him to stop and once I started crying he came out of the hallucination he was having. He told me that he thought I was his friend Zach and that apparently Zach was making fun of him, but I don't believe that because I never said anything to him before he started punching me.

[icu650]

Even with pictures it would be hard to prove that they came from him. I am sure he is not going to admit it and his girlfriend will not back you up. Therefore I would let you incident go and just stay away from both. If he is inhaling chemicals it will only be a matter of time before he really screws up and gets arrested for something else.

[Aussie George]

Things might be different over there than here, but I will give you an example of what things are like here. If you came in to report this as you have above, then I would take the report. I am obliged to and it would be wrong of me not to. Then I would take a detailed statement from you. I would then most likely go to Walmart and see if they still had any footage of you and/or him in the store. This might not be of any use given the offence happened in your car, but it could negate any story he gives later in an interview.

Given the time frame, it is quite possible that the CCTV would not be available any longer. Some stores over here, delete after a week, a month, etc, and since June it is unlikely here that most stores would hold that footage.

I would then speak to any possible witnesses, and this would include your ex-room mate. If it is obvious that they are not of use, or unwilling to help, or even willing to provide HIM an alibi, then it would seriously affect any chance of a prosecution.

In the city I used to work we have an extensive CCTV network in the streets. Sometimes this is accessed in cases like this depending on the locations of where he assaulted you. The street cameras might pick up some of it, even though it happened in the car and that could assist. Again this is unlikely though.

HE would be then offered the chance of an interview. Without a witness statement, or CCTV or other evidence, it would then be down to what he said. If he was to blatantly lie and deny being with you at Walmart, and I had CCTV of you there as per your version, then that would give me leverage in an interview to call him out on his lie, but there is no obligation for him to take part in an interview at all. A lot of people do, just to see what Police have on them, but a lot don't. Suspects have a right to silence, and if we are depending on their admissions to prosecute, then we got nothin'

Over here, I am not going to commence a prosecution if I do not have a reasonable chance of a successful prosecution. It costs the tax payer a lot of money to charge someone, and if there is no chance that the case we have against a suspect will g them convicted, then it is reckless and time wasting of me to go ahead, and if it is that obvious, the Prosecutors will pull the charges anyway.

In short, you have to weigh up whether it is worth your time and hassles to go ahead with something that might not do anything other than bother you. A lot of people come in and make reports and then wonder why we don't end up charging someone over it, and they can't seem to understand that without evidence we have nothing. That doesn't mean we don't believe them, we just can't make a judge or jury believe them.

This of course applies to Australia and may not be accurate in Oklahoma, but thought it might explain the process a bit for you and why you might be better off just moving on and having no further contact with these people.

[Aussie George]

Oh, and in the above scenario, once I have taken the report it is there forever.

He might be initially listed as a suspect. After the investigation, if it were determined no further action be taken due to lack of evidence, he is still linked to the case on our computer system as "no longer wanted" and a supplementary report is added to explain that at this time there was insufficient evidence to support a charge and why.

In short what that means is that in the future if he were to be investigated for similar actions, then there is a pattern starting to show. Other cops won't just look at him and think he has never been accused of anything and is a good guy.

I have actually taken reports and the victim has told me they no longer wish to go ahead with charges, but I figure it helps build a picture of who the person is...at least for future reference by Police. When I look at someone on the computer and I see that they have no history at all then I obviously get a certain impression of them. If I see that they have been accused of assault by 4 different women at 4 different times in 4 different locations, then I am less inclined to believe that they are nice guy.

Good luck.

[jenn7222]

When he first started hitting me it in front of a high school, but I'm not sure if that school has any cameras closer along the street we were on. His girlfriend wasn't with us at the time that it happened. I know he just got arrested for minor in possession of intoxicating alcoholic beverage recently and for public intoxication and I think a few other things.

Also, I have another question, I live in an apartment complex with several complexes right next to mine and my old roommate is on a waiting list for the apartment complex right next to mine (only thing dividing the property is a retaining wall that one could climb easily). Is there anything I can do to prevent her from moving to the apartment complex next door like a restraining order or something considering she has threatened me and she could easily find where I live. Plus, even though I blocked her on Facebook and yet she is still sending me messages. I know she has a history with the police too. Basically I want to this to for my protection.

[retdetsgt]

If you don't want the person to know where you live now, it's best to just chalk it up to a life lesson and avoid those kind of people in the future. If you press charges, the defense has to be given the information as to how to contact you.