UNDERREPORTING AND BAD MEDIA ARE ONLY TWO OF
THE MANY SYSTEMIC ISSUES THAT AMERICA'S RAPE VICTIMS
HAVE TO CONTEND WITH.
SAMANTHA BEE FILES THIS REPORT.
>> AMERICA FACES A LITANY OF COMPLEX PROBLEMS THAT WE
CAN'T AGREE ON HOW TO FIX.
OUR CRUMBABLING INFRASTRUCTURE, SIMPLIFYING
OUR BLOATED TAX CODE, IS SCIENCE EVEN REAL?
HARD STUFF.
BUT CONGRESSWOMAN DEBBIE WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ THINKS SHE
HAS AN ISSUE THAT NO ONE CAN DISAGREE WITH.
>> RIGHT NOW A WOMAN DOESN'T HAVE THE RIGHT ACROSS
AMERICA TO TERMINATE HER RAPIST'S PARENTAL RIGHTS.
>> NO, THAT IS NOT TRUE.
>> IF YOU ARE THE VICTIM OF RAPE AND YOU CONCEIVE A
CHILD, THEN YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO TERMINATE YOUR
RAPIST'S PARENTAL RIGHTS.
>> SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CUSTODY, TALKING ABOUT
VISITATION.
>> YES.
>> EVERY OTHER WEEKEND YOU HAVE TO MEET YOUR RAPIST IN
A DENNY'S PARKING LOT AND HAND OVER YOUR CHILD.
>> EXACTLY. RIGHT.
>> THIS CANNOT BE REAL.
NO, THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, NO, I REFUSE TO BELIEVE
THAT.
>> I SPENT TWO YEARS OF MY OWN LIFE FIGHTING MY
ATTACKER FOR CUSTODY OF MY DAUGHTER.
AND IT'S WHAT PROMPTED ME TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL.
>> OKAY, SO THIS ACTUALLY IS A THING.
AND SHAUNA PREWITT HAS BEEN A PUBLIC ADVOCATE TO END THIS
UN[BLEEP] BELIEVABLE SITUATION.
>> WE KNOW THAT ABOUT 32,000 WOMEN EACH YEAR BECOME
PREGNANT THROUGH RAPE.
AT LEAST A THIRD OF THEM GO ON TO RAISE THAT CHILD.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST 10,000 POTENTIAL
CUSTODY BATTLES EVERY SINGLE YEAR IN THIS COUNTRY.
>> OH, THAT'S VERY INTERESTING.
OKAY, EXCUSE ME JUST ONE SECOND.
JUST BE RIGHT BACK.
(SCREAMING)
PREWITT'S NUMBERS WERE MAKING MY BRAIN EXPLODE.
I WAS GOING TO NEED A LITTLE HELP GETTING THROUGH THIS
STORY.
LUCKILY I WAS PREPARED FOR JUST SUCH AN EMERGENCY.
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT BABY CHICKENS.
THE GOOD NEWS IS WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ INTRODUCED
LEGISLATION TO FIX THIS.
>> WE DO HAVE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.
THIS BILL IS ENDORSED BY PRO-LIFE GROUPS AND
PRO-CHOICE GROUPS.
I EXPECTED THAT IF THERE WAS ANY ISSUE THAT WOULD SAIL
THROUGH WITHOUT A PROBLEM, THAT IT WOULD BE THIS ONE.
BUT THE BILL DIDN'T EVEN GET A HEARING.
>> OKAY, NO, NOPE.
>> THE PARENTAL RIGHTS --
>> IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY.
IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY.
SO WHY DID THIS CAN'T FAIL BILL FAIL?
>> THERE IS A SMALL PROVISION IN THE BILL THAT
ACTUALLY SPENDS SOME MONEY.
THE BILL DIDN'T MOVE OVER THIS SMALL FUNDING ISSUE.
>> SMALL FUNDING, OKAY.
SO THIS IS A WEIRD QUESTION.
BUT HOW MUCH MONEY IS TOO MUCH MONEY TO STOP RAPISTS
FROM PURSUING THEIR CUSTODIAL RIGHTS.
>> WELL, LET ME SHARE THE WITH YOU.
THE BILL AUTHORIZED $5 MILLION PER YEAR FOR FIVE
YEARS.
>> FOR [BLEEP] SAKE.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THE GOVERNMENT SPENDS ON
PROMOTING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
$5 MILLION A YEAR, #GETFRUVED.
SO WE'RE COOL WITH TEAM GRAPES BUT NOT TEAM HELPING
RAPE VICTIMS? GOT IT.
IN THE MEANTIME WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ HAS
RE-INTRODUCED HER BILL AND THINKS THAT THIS TIME
IT MAY PASS.
>> IF IT PASSES THEN NO WOMAN WILL EVER HAVE TO FACE
THIS NIGHTMARE EVER AGAIN, PROBLEM SOLVED, RIGHT?
>> WELL, I WISH IT WERE THAT SIMPLE.
BUT IT'S NOT AUTOMATIC.
IT IS ACTUALLY UP TO THE STATES.
SO WHAT WE DO IN THE BILL IS WE INCENTIVIZE STATES THAT
DON'T HAVE THIS LAW IN PLACE.
WE HAVE TO EITHER USE A CARROT OR A STICK.
IN THIS CASE WE CHOSE A CARROT.
>> I FEEL LIKE I WOULD HAVE CHOSEN THE STICK.
>> I KNOW, THE STICK CAN BE TEMPTING.
>> SO CONSTITUTIONALLY EACH STATE HAS TO CHANGE ITS OWN
LAWS. QUICK QUESTION, WHY THE [BLEEP] DO THE STATES
EVEN NEED AN INCENTIVE?
>> I THINK THAT THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT GOES BACK TO THE
SUSPICION THAT LEGISLATORS HAVE OF RAPED WOMEN.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, SOME WOMEN HAVE BEEN THREATENED
BY THEIR ATTACKERS WHO HAVE SAID IF YOU STOP THE
CRIMINAL PROCESS AGAINST ME I WILL AGREE NOT TO SEEK ANY
CUSTODY OF PARENTAL RIGHTS.
>> I'M JUST GOING TO GO GET SOME FRESH AIR.
THAT'S IT, I'M OUT.
I'M OUT OF SHOCK.
OKAY, JUST WALK AND THINK, THINK AND WALK, OKAY.
WHOOO.
NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN DROPPING CHARGES OR
A CUSTODY BATTLE.
OH MY GOD.
WHERE AM I?
OH, THIS IS PRETTY.
SO SNOWY.
NOT INFURIATINGLY SAD.
YOU KNOW WHAT, WHY WOULD I LEAVE?
I'LL JUST ENJOY MY TEA.
GROW A BEARD.
WOULD YOU LOOK AT THE LACK OF SOUL-CRUSHING GOVERNMENT
DYSFUNCTION?
I COULD MAKE A NEW LIFE HERE.
>> SAM.
>> WHAT DO YOU WANT?
>> IT'S HASAN MINHAJ FROM THE DAILY SHOW.
>> I KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
>> YOU NEED TO FINISH THE PIECE.
>> I'M TO THE GOING BACK.
>> BUT IT'S IMPORTANT.
>> I KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT.
GODDAMN IT.
>> THERE WAS STILL WORK TO DO.
LISTEN, CAN I BORROW YOUR RAZOR?
>> I LEFT THAT LADY SITTING THERE FOR A LONG TIME.
>> OKAY, HERE WE GO.
ARE THERE ANY STATES OUT THERE DOING THE RIGHT THING
ON THEIR OWN?
>> FLORIDA NOT ONLY HAS A LAW, IT HAS A TERRIFIC LAW
THAT'S ACTUALLY A MODEL THAT I WOULD LIKE TO GET REPLICATED IN
A NUMBER OF OTHER STATES.
>> DID YOU JUST SAY FLORIDA?
>> YEAH.
>> I'VE BEEN DOING THIS JOB FOR A LONG TIME AND I HAVE
NEVER SAID THESE WORDS BEFORE.
GOOD JOB, FLORIDA!
I KNEW WHAT I HAD TO DO.
TIME FOR A GOOD OLD-FASHIONED STATE-SHAMING.
>> HI.
IF YOUR STATE IS RED ON THIS MAP, CALL YOUR LEGISLATOR
AND TELL THEM TO GET THEIR [BLEEP] TOGETHER.
DON'T LIKE MAPS? HERE ARE THEIR NAMES.
ALABAMA, ARIZONA, MARYLAND, MINNESOTA, I'M SO MAD!
THAT FELT BETTER.
AND WHILE WE'RE WAITING, IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ME, I'LL
BE IN MY HAPPY PLACE.
OH YEAH.