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How Does North Carolina Get Justice For Sexual Assault Survivors?

WUNC News | By Frank Stasio,
Amanda Magnus
Published March 21, 2019 at 1:16 PM EDT
The graphic for the four-part series on sexual assault convictions in North Carolina, 'Seeking Conviction.'
The graphic for the four-part series on sexual assault convictions in North Carolina, 'Seeking Conviction.'
The graphic for the four-part series on sexual assault convictions in North Carolina, 'Seeking Conviction.'
Credit Courtesy of Carolina Public Press
The graphic for the four-part series on sexual assault convictions in North Carolina, 'Seeking Conviction.'

Fewer than a quarter of people charged with sexual assault in North Carolina from 2014-2018 were convicted of a sex-related crime. That is according to a new analysis from 11 news organizations in North Carolina, led by Carolina Public Press. The reporting also identifies big disparities in conviction rates from one county to the next. Host Frank Stasio speaks with Carolina Public Press investigative reporter Kate Martin and WUNC’s data reporter Jason deBruyn about their four-day investigative series 'Seeking Conviction.'

Host Frank Stasio talks to Kate Martin and Jason deBruyn about the project, which culminated in the four-day investigative series “Seeking Conviction.” Martin is the lead investigative reporter at Carolina Public Press and deBruyn is WUNC’s data reporter.

They talk about why there might be disparities in sexual assault conviction rates across the state, why so many sexual assault charges are plead down to lesser crimes and what they heard from the experts.

Copyright 2019 North Carolina Public Radio
Frank Stasio
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
See stories by Frank Stasio
Amanda Magnus
Amanda Magnus grew up in Maryland and went to high school in Baltimore. She became interested in radio after an elective course in the NYU journalism department. She got her start at Sirius XM Satellite Radio, but she knew public radio was for her when she interned at WNYC. She later moved to Madison, where she worked at Wisconsin Public Radio for six years. In her time there, she helped create an afternoon drive news magazine show, called Central Time. She also produced several series, including one on Native American life in Wisconsin. She spends her free time running, hiking, and roller skating. She also loves scary movies.
See stories by Amanda Magnus