Fail Quote: Arizona judge blames woman for being groped by cop

Judge Jacqueline Hatch

Here’s what Arizona Judge Jacqueline Hatch had to say to a woman who won her lawsuit after being sexually assaulted by a drunken cop in a bar last summer:

Bad things can happen in bars, Hatch told the victim, adding that other people might be more intoxicated than she was.

"If you wouldn't have been there that night, none of this would have happened to you," Hatch said.

Hatch told the victim and the defendant that no one would be happy with the sentence she gave, but that finding an appropriate sentence was her duty.

"I hope you look at what you've been through and try to take something positive out of it," Hatch said to the victim in court. "You learned a lesson about friendship and you learned a lesson about vulnerability."

Hatch said that the victim was not to blame in the case, but that all women must be vigilant against becoming victims.

"When you blame others, you give up your power to change," Hatch said that her mother used to say.

Well, dang. How many victims of sexual violence could have been saved if only they’d been smart enough not to be at the place and time where they were assaulted? It’s their fault for not having premonitory powers, you know. And they should definitely be aware that it’s their duty to make sure they don’t become victims. You know, “Girl Power”.

Robb Evans

Oh, and better yet? The cop who groped the woman, while fired after an internal investigation, avoided his original six-month-minimum prison sentence and instead landed on probation and 100 hours of community service. I guess that’s because he only groped her a little, right?

(He also escaped the sex offender registry, though I can’t muster up much outrage over it, considering all that I’ve chronicled regarding the sex offender system on this blog. He needs discipline and rehabilitation, not the wholesale destruction of the rest of his life.)

(via ThinkProgress)

Tags: Jacqueline Hatch • Robb Gary Evans • sexual assault • sexual abuse • victim-blaming