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Missoula

Rape and the Justice System in a College Town

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Missoula

By: Jon Krakauer
Narrated by: Mozhan Marnò, Scott Brick
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About this listen

 From bestselling author Jon Krakauer, a stark, powerful, meticulously reported narrative about a series of sexual assaults at the University of Montana ­— stories that illuminate the human drama behind the national plague of campus rape

Missoula, Montana, is a typical college town, with a highly regarded state university, bucolic surroundings, a lively social scene, and an excellent football team — the Grizzlies — with a rabid fan base. The Department of Justice investigated 350 sexual assaults reported to the Missoula police between January 2008 and May 2012. Few of these assaults were properly handled by either the university or local authorities. In this, Missoula is also typical. Krakauer’s devastating narrative of what happened in Missoula makes clear why rape is so prevalent on American campuses, and why rape victims are so reluctant to report assault.

In Missoula, Krakauer chronicles the searing experiences of several women in the town — the nights when they were raped; their fear and self-doubt in the aftermath; the way they were treated by the police, prosecutors, defense attorneys; the public vilification and private anguish; their bravery in pushing forward and what it cost them.

Some of them went to the police. Some declined to go to the police, or to press charges, but sought redress from the university, which has its own, non-criminal judicial process when a student is accused of rape. In two cases the police agreed to press charges and the district attorney agreed to prosecute. One case led to a conviction; one to an acquittal. Those women courageous enough to press charges or to speak publicly about their experiences were attacked in the media, on Grizzly football fan sites, and/or to their faces. The university expelled three of the accused rapists, but one was reinstated by state officials in a secret proceeding. One district attorney testified for an alleged rapist at his university hearing. She later left the prosecutor’s office and successfully defended the Grizzlies’ star quarterback in his rape trial. The horror of being raped, in each woman’s case, was magnified by the mechanics of the justice system and the reaction of the community.

Krakauer’s dispassionate, carefully documented account of what these women endured cuts through the abstract ideological debate about campus rape. College-age women are not raped because they are promiscuous, or drunk, or send mixed signals, or feel guilty about casual sex, or seek attention. They are the victims of a terrible crime and deserving of compassion from society and fairness from a justice system that is clearly broken. Abuse Education Gender Studies Higher & Continuing Education Relationships Sexual Abuse & Harassment Social Sciences True Crime Crime Scary Sports Montana
All stars
Most relevant

A must read. A detailed and thoughtful analysis of the impact of non stranger rape, and how the system fails victims.

Exceptional

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I agree with other reviewers that young men should listen to this before headfing off to college. It's shocking that the justice system seems to favour the perpetrator rather than the victim. Hopefully this book will draw attention to a flawed legal system. I was riveted throughout and thought the narration excellent. In order to digest more of the facts I would listen again.

Disturbing but brilliant !

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This was an interesting listen and so sad that this is so recent and so prevalent. Insightful

Good but not the best of Krakauer’s books

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Classic Krakauer. Well researched difficult subject matter eloquent straightforward . Insightful does not shirk from the topic but always told with empathy

review

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I cannot rate more highly this book and encourage everyone to read it. We as a society need to do a lot more to better deal with this horrendous component of our society. Huge respect to Jon Krakauer for taking it head on in this book

Brilliant synopsis of non-stranger rape

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