Interim University Police Chief Robert Putzke was not surprised by the discrepancies in the numbers of reported victims. I've known for many years it is vastly underreported. He said there were a variety of reasons why so many acquaintance rapes are unreported. Other factors he mentioned include the tendency for victims to blame themselves for the assault and whether any alcohol was involved at the time of the assault. The reasons she gave for this were similar to those offered by Putzke, but she said fear is the main reason most sexual assaults go unreported.
Most clients are more afraid than anything else.
She added that many misconceptions about this type of crime exist in this part of the county, and part of her job as an advocate is to help dispel what she calls a problem with perception. For this reason, Belschner said some victims may choose not to call the police, for fear of further humiliation and embarrassment, which is where she and other advocates at the Women's Shelter step in to offer support. My job is different from law enforcement. They just have a different perspective. Their job is not to be concerned with the needs of the victims.