Craig Rowland, Bingham County, Idaho’s Republican sheriff, was asked by a reporter about an Idaho bill that would require local police and county sheriffs to submit DNA evidence collected from rape victims within 30 days so it can be analyzed. The bill passed unanimously. It was in response to an Idaho Statesman investigation that found several law enforcement agencies submitted less than half the evidence they collected. He said submitting DNA evidence wasn’t necessarily because most rape allegations were consensual sex.
His exact words were, “The majority of our rapes — not to say that we don’t have rapes, we do — but the majority of our rapes that are called in, are actually consensual sex.” This was an interview with the Idaho Falls TV station KIDK. His apology repeats the lie that rape allegations are frequently false.
This did not cost him his job, but pulling a gun on a church youth group, yanking the youth group leader out of her car and holding a gun to her head did get him arrested and convicted of assault. In a plea agreement, he pled guilty and was sentenced to ten days in jail and probation.
- Washington Post: The rape myth that lives on in Idaho
- News8: Sheriff says most rape cases are consensual sex
- East Idaho Network: Former sheriff to get probation, some jail time as part of plea agreement
Boise, Idaho · Sunday, March 20, 2016