Review Of Missoul Rape In A College Town, By Jon Krakauer

According to the research of Kimberly Lonsway and police sergeant Joanne Archambault, when an individual is raped in the United States, 96% of the time the rapist dodges the crime. The majority of these rapes do not go through the prosecution process and when they do, less than 0.2% of these perpetrators spend time in a prison cell (Krakauer 121). The main cause of this ongoing problem is the ineffective and unfair representation of rape victims by the justice system. Jon Krakauer argues this point in his novel, Missoula: Rape in a College Town and the Justice System, using narratives as his main focus of support. Through this use of narratives, Krakauer appeals to logos, encapturing the various actions and perspectives of those who played

Krakauer supports his argument of unfair rape trials by revealing bias towards the perpetrator in the court case. He does so by providing testimony that demonstrate how the overall image of the perpetrator leads jurors to disregard opposing evidence. In turn, this makes it harder for the perpetrator to receive deserved punishment for his actions and preventing further events. Krakauer quotes psychologist David Lisak, “Predators...get away with it over and over... because most of us are in denial. We’re disinclined to believe that someone who’s an attentive student or a congenial athlete could also be a rapist” (121). The use of testimony from a credible source strengthens Krakauer's argument, identifying the favoritism within the judicial system. He uses this testimony to synthesize ideas from other court cases, for example, the case of Alison Huguet, a college girl struggling to receive justice, after being raped by football player Beau Donaldson. Krakauer writes, “‘It was

He explains that this in turn leads to unfair representation and unresolved rape cases. Krakauer describes this situation through the case of Kelsey Belnap. After providing convincing evidence to the prosecutor, mother Terry Belnap states, “‘We were left with no answers and no further investigation….I really felt that we were brushed off’” (44). Krakauer uses this testimony to show that the prosecutor's lack of care towards the victim in pushing forth their case. He synthesizes this idea to the case of Kaitlynn Kelly who also had struggled to bring justice after being raped by Calvin Smith. She explains that even after presenting evidence that clearly pointed in her favor, the prosecutor attacked her for disposing of her bloody sheets. She also explains that in the end prosecutor Kirsten Pabst turned against her completely, defending her rapist during the judicial hearing for her rape (77-99). Krakauer uses this case of insensitivity to prove the lack of effort the prosecutor puts in resolving rape cases, demonstrating the unfairness of this