A Florida Teen’s Exceptional Battle to Put Her Rapist Behind Bars

Content material warning: The story discusses childhood sexual abuse.

In Polk County, Florida, the place its sheriff has stated his division will “go to the ends of the earth” to arrest baby predators, one baby sufferer was left questioning how she ended up on the opposite aspect of the legislation. 

Taylor Cadle was 12 years previous when she disclosed to a trusted grownup that her adoptive father had been sexually abusing her since she was 9. Legislation enforcement was fast to reply, and virtually simply as fast to suspect that Taylor had made up the allegations. The lead detective, Melissa Turnage, started to query Taylor aggressively, even threatening her with returning to foster care if she continued along with her allegations.

“I instructed her time and time and time and time once more that I’m not the liar right here,” Taylor stated of the detective. 

Regardless of Taylor’s pleas, Turnage finally sought felony fees in opposition to her for mendacity to police.

For the Emmy Award-winning Middle for Investigative Reporting and Netflix documentary Sufferer/Suspect, I discovered a whole bunch of others nationwide who, like Taylor, started as alleged victims reporting sexual assaults to police and ended up felony suspects. My reporting uncovered surprising police missteps in a number of of these investigations. All of these alleged victims stay adamant that their studies have been truthful. 

In a stunning improvement in her case, Taylor vindicated herself. With our companion PBS NewsHour, I went to Polk County to satisfy Taylor—and listen to how she lastly put her abuser in jail.

Associated: The Unflinching Braveness of Taylor Cadle

Associated