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Law / Current Affairs / Women's Studies


 

Cry Rape
The True Story of One Woman's Harrowing Quest for Justice
Bill Lueders
with a new afterword

Terrace Books

"A shocking revelation of the abuse rape victims are sometimes subjected to by the very people who should be seeking justice for them."Publishers Weekly

In September 1997, a visually impaired woman named Patty was raped by an intruder in her home in Madison, Wisconsin. The rookie detective assigned to her case came to doubt Patty's account and focused the investigation on her. Using pressure and lies, he got her to recant, then had her charged with falsely reporting a crime. The charges were eventually dropped, but Patty continued to demand justice, filing complaints and a federal lawsuit against the police. All were rebuffed. But later, as the result of her perseverance, a startling discovery was made. Even then, Patty's ordeal was far from over.

"In a textbook example of how not to investigate rape, Patty was disbelieved, humiliated, and treated like a criminal while promising leads were ignored. Her fight for justice is an important and inspiring story, as well as a warning that old ways of thought about women persist in surprising places. As full of twists and turns as a mystery novel, and as tightly written, Cry Rape lays bare the underside of one of our nation's most liberal and attractive cities." —Katha Pollitt, columnist for The Nation

"A gripping mystery. . . . A meticulous dissection of a police investigation gone wrong. . . . An urgent read for anyone concerned about how police treat victims of sensitive crimes and how institutions defend their own." —Linda Lutton, Chicago Reader

"Cry Rape provides a chilling example of how tunnel vision can lead even well-meaning police officers into forming conclusions that are flat-out wrong, how powerful interrogation techniques can lead innocent people to confess to crimes they did not commit, and how DNA can correct mistakes for the lucky few." —Barry Scheck, Innocence Project

"Important . . . will captivate and outrage readers." —Kirkus Reviews

"A powerful example of how an investigative reporter can right injustices and expose the need for further reform. . . . Patty herself emerges as a remarkable heroine: legally blind, scraping by on a paltry income, she keeps fighting to be heard. This works as investigative journalism, heroic tale, and exquisitely paced mystery." —Booklist (Starred Review)

The Terrace Books logo is designed in the shape of a book with a Union chair in silhouette on the cover. The words Terrace Books, Madison, Wisconsin appear also.

this is a black and white photo of Bill Lueders. He is bearded, with short hair, and wearing a dark shirt.Bill Lueders is news editor for Isthmus, a weekly newspaper in Madison, Wisconsin. He is the author of An Enemy of the State: The Life of Erwin Knoll and president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council.

Media & bookseller inquiries regarding review copies, events, and interviews can be directed to the publicity department at publicity@uwpress.wisc.edu or (608) 263-0734. (If you want to examine a book for possible course use, please see our Course Books page. If you want to examine a book for possible rights licensing, please see Rights & Permissions.)

Bill Lueders has a Web site with more information about this case, see www.cryrapebook.com

cover of Cry Rape is illustrated with a shadowed photo of a woman's face, reflected in a pane of broken glass.

FIRST PAPERBACK EDITION
September 2007
LC: 2006008062 KF
288 pp. 6 x 9  
24 b/w photos

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Paper $19.95 t
ISBN 978-0-299-21964-2

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