IRE Radio Podcast | A Pattern of Injustice

Every year, more than 2,000 women in Minnesota report to police that they were raped or sexually assaulted. So, the Minneapolis Star Tribune decided to take a look at what happens after a report is made, analyzing more than 1,000 cases. They found that in almost half, police failed to interview potential witnesses. In roughly a third, the investigator never interviewed the victim. And in a quarter, police never assigned an investigator to the case. Reporter Brandon Stahl takes us behind the investigation.

You can find the podcast on Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Play. If you have a story you think we should feature on the show, drop us a note at web@ire.org. We’d love to hear from you.

RESOURCES

Looking for links to the stories and resources we discussed on this week's podcast? We've collected them for you.

• Read the investigation from the Star Tribune.
• Read MaryJo Webster’s explainer on how the Star Tribune built its database of police reports.
• Members only: Download the tipsheet “Consider the source: Building expertise on trauma for better watchdog and investigative reporting” by Katherine Reed.
• Members only: Download the tipsheet “Tackling sexual harassment and misconduct” by Marisa Kwiatkowski.

MUSIC

Noe-Noe (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0

McCarthy  (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0

Threads and Veils (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0

Are We Loose Yet (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0

ZigZag Heart  (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0

Liptis (Blue Dot Sessions) / CC BY-NC 4.0

CREDITS

Abby Ivory-Ganja reported this episode. Tessa Weinberg is our host. IRE Editorial Director Sarah Hutchins edits the podcast. We are recorded in the studios of KBIA at the University of Missouri.