137. Leslie McFadden; Part 2: A Gut Punch

This is the concluding episode of Leslie McFadden’s appearance on Sexual Assault Survivor Stories.

Leslie’s experience is a powerful example of the systemic issues that many survivors face. In October 2015, she was drugged and raped in Brooklyn. The last thing she remembers was drinks on Stone Street; she would wake up in a hospital many hours later, not knowing what happened. Slowly, she began to piece together that something terrible had occurred.

When Leslie reported her sexual assault to the NYPD's Special Victims Unit, she faced additional trauma. One of the first questions a detective asked her was whether this was truly a case of assault or just regret. The next day, she was asked to make a controlled call to the perpetrator, during which he admitted to the assault. Immediately after, the detective presented her with a form that she was told would put her case on hold pending further evidence. Unbeknownst to her, this was actually a case closure form, which she signed while in distress. The detective never spoke to the assailant and closed the case without further investigation.

Leslie's story is not unique. She became one of 19 survivors to urge the federal Department of Justice to open an investigation into how the NYPD handled sexual assault survivors and their cases. In 2022, the DOJ opened an investigation into the NYPD's Special Victims Unit to examine whether the department discriminated against sexual assault survivors when conducting their investigations.

This episode is the conclusion of a two-part encounter. Leslie is an articulate, strong, and influential voice for victims and survivors everywhere; her ongoing goal is to make a lasting change in this world, to help overcome rape culture, and encourage law enforcement to become trauma-informed, empathic, and thorough in the investigation of rape and sexual assault.

As I mentioned in last week’s episode, a former guest of SASS, Rachel Izzo, introduced me to Leslie. If you haven't heard Rachel Izzo's episodes, I encourage you to take the time to listen to those as well. Rachel and Leslie share similar experiences with the New York Police Department’s Special Victims Unit, and have both shown immense courage in sharing their stories.

An important side note: if you’re finding value in these episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, please send me a note of support. I can’t tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. Here’s my email address: [email protected]   I truly look forward to hearing from you!

Thank you again for being part of this journey with me. Don’t miss next week’s episode as I bring you another compelling and insightful guest. In the meantime, I encourage you to share this podcast with your friends, family, and colleagues. Spread the word about Sexual Assault Survivor Stories, as we continue to amplify the voices of victims and survivors, normalize the conversation, and educate the public and professionals on the importance of trauma-informed care. Together we can help reduce the prevalence of the rape culture that is rampant in our society.

Subscribe and Support: Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode of Sexual Assault Survivor Stories; and give us a five-star rating! Your support helps us continue to provide this important platform for survivors and advocates alike. I hope you will also do your part to bring justice to victims and survivors of rape and sexual assault. You can do that by sharing this episode with others. Also, please follow the Instagram page of sexualassaultsurvivorstories. It also helps the show grow, which is what I hope to accomplish to help lessen the prevalence of rape and sexual assault, as well as the prevalence of rape culture that surrounds us all. It only takes a minute, and I truly appreciate your support.

On another note: I am a strong advocate and supporter of Survivor School (SS), founded and directed by CEO Arci Grey (another former guest on SASS). In fact, Arci has made me a consultant to SS as she maneuvers the intricacies of directing and managing the content and growth of her amazing organization. I encourage you to strongly consider becoming a member of SS, and as an affiliate would appreciate it, if you do decide to become a member, to use this link:

https://www.survivor-school.com/?ref=DAVEMARKEL

Thanks again for listening! As always, listed below are some additional important and meaningful websites I hope you’ll take a look at and learn more about, including a recent article about the DOJ investigation into the NYPD Special Victims Unit, mentioning Leslie McFadden. Please take the time to read the article…and thank you.

https://risenow.us/

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/16/nyregion/trump-nypd-rape-kit.html 

https://www.whattheydontsay.com

https://www.survivor-school.com/?ref=DAVEMARKEL

www.arcigrey.com 

https://thejanbrobergfoundation.org

https://www.napanews.org/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/invisible-no-more-lady-veterans-stories-of-military/id1754061590

https://startbybelieving.org

https://evawintl.org/

https://safeinharmsway.org

My email address:

[email protected]

Thank you for joining us for this important conversation. Remember, believing and supporting survivors is a crucial step in bringing justice and healing.