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There are currently 13 member reviews
for The Secret History of the Rape Kit
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Diane W. (Oakton, VA)
Magaret Goddard - Finally Getting Due Credit
Back in the 1970's when much of society, including police officers, weren't sure sexual assault was actually a crime – or how to prove it if it was, Martha Goddard invented the rape kit. However, in true – you can get more accomplished if you don't care who gets the credit- form, she allowed a Chicago police sergeant named Louis Vitullo to take credit for it.
She then pushed for acceptance – even getting a grant from Playboy to pilot her program. Once DNA was discovered as an evidence tool in the 1980's the rape kit was instrumental in securing convictions – and exonerating the wrongly accused.
It also proved that some serial rapist profiling theories were inaccurate, and that rape was often a crime of opportunity rather than targeted at specific women or enacted in always the same way.
However, the rape kit was only successful in identifying rapists when it was used and there were
– and still are – problems with kits languishing in police warehouses untested and unimplemented in solving these crimes.
The inventor, herself, declined after her success in marketing the kit. She had been abused as a child and raped on vacation in the late 1970's and she eventually succumbed to mental illness.
We all owe a great debt of gratitude to Margaret Goddard for believing sexual assault is a crime that can be solved as well as to Pagan Kennedy for telling her story.
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Ruth O. (Downingtown, PA)
Exhilarating and Sad
Did you ever think about how the rape kit came to be? I had heard about rape kits, but never thought about the process or their effect on solving and preventing more rapes. This was a very interesting story of the woman, Marty Goddard, who created it even though it had the name of a male police officer on it. The kit was created in the time period when I was a young adult, and I was totally unaware of the way women were treated by law enforcement when they were raped. Equally astounding is how long it took for rape kits to be used effectively and not just stored on a shelf somewhere. This book made me aware of many of the injustices to women from law enforcement and the public in general.
The story of Marty Goddard was both exhilarating and sad, as she fought to have her rape kit accepted. She worked with the FBI for several years to train personnel on its use. Marty travelled the country in this role and had some interesting experiences. Sadly, Marty ended up going into a downward spiral mentally and at the end of her life was an alcoholic and alone. The author spent years tracking her down, and the story was fascinating. This was an unusual story that I highly recommend.
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Mountain lover Colorado
The Secret History of the Rape Kit
This book did a good job of weaving personal stories in with the history of the Rape Kit. I was fortunate to not have to deal with the trauma of a rape or sexual molestation but knew young women who were. Rape and molestation are emotionally charged subjects and at times difficult to read about. For me, as someone who lived during these times, it brought up memories and also a history of which I had not been fully aware. I felt anger toward those in power. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in women's history and anyone who is concerned about the current climate surrounding women and decisions regarding women's bodies. I would recommend this to Book Clubs who are used to dealing with emotionally charged subjects. This would not be fitting for a Book Club, such as one I belong to, where there are members who want to read "happy" books.
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Renay (MS)
Bringing Light to Darkness
The Secret History of the Rape Kit is an interesting nonfiction read. It is well-written and moves at a comfortable pace. I was not aware of the origins of the rape kit. The author uncovers the woman, Marty Goddard, behind its creation and the difficulties she faced throughout her professional life and personal life. I think everyone should read this book and become more knowledgeable about the prevalence of sexual assault and how survivors can be re-victimized by ill treatment at the hands of those who are obligated to provide aid.
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Laurie B. (Jacksonville, FL)
Mixed Reaction
The book started with promise, detailing the barriers to investigating and prosecuting rape cases. Martha Goddard's efforts to develop a rape kit and educate law enforcement and health care workers about its use were truly impressive. The book lost me with the telling of Martha's difficulties later in life and the author's telling of her own experience with sexual assault. I found her portrayal of Martha's personal life invasive, unnecessary and distasteful.
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Melinda J. (East Hampton, CT)
History of Rape Kits Biography
The Secret History of the Rape Kit by Pagan Kennedy is an advance reader copy from Net Galley through BookBrowse and I thank them for allowing me to read this book. The book certainly won't be for everyone, but I did learn a lot. I really had no idea how new the rape kit for sexual assault victims has been in existence and that it was often not used properly or thrown away. The book is a biography of Marty Goddard. She worked at a nonprofit and advocated for better treatment of those who had been assaulted. She thought of a rape kit that would assist in prosecution of perpetrators and managed to get the Chicago police interested in it. However, her name was not associated with it and instead Louis Vitullo was given credit. Marty did some training for the Justice Department. Eventually she disappeared and Kennedy did a lot of research to find out what had really happened to Marty Goddard. Kennedy had been a victim of assault as a child and as an adult and originally wrote about Marty in an article for the New York Times. The book is both a history of a woman who tried give women who had been assaulted a measure of dignity and believability and a story of finding out what had happened to Marty Goddard when she disappeared. The book would appeal to those who like to learn and may be surprised by learning how far we still have to go.
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