In November 2020, Sarah Harper, a Savannah hairstylist, was sexually assaulted during a date. Initially, her fraught decision to go to the authorities was rewarded. Within a month, her assailant was arrested, and three months later he was indicted on charges of kidnapping and attempted rape.
The efficient pace of prosecuting sex crimes cases was something the Chatham County district attorney’s office had long been lauded for. One highlight was a cooperative system of victims’ rights advocates, social services and specialized attorneys meant that abused women and children often received proactive and sympathetic care. But that changed after December 2021, the last time that the DA’s office held a multi-agency meeting meant to achieve the best results for sex crime victims, according to an investigation by The Current.
This is one of several changes instituted under DA Shalena Cook Jones’ tenure that have defense attorneys, sexual abuse advocates and former prosecutors worried about the level of care and expertise for survivors of traumatic sex crimes.
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