NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A new Davidson County Grand Jury report has raised concerns about holding alleged criminals accountable.

Jurors noticed there was an inconsistency in the bonds set for sexual assault cases.

"That's disheartening. It tells victims that what happened to them was not that serious," Nashville Sexual Assault Center Vice President of Development Catherine Barkley said.

The latest report highlights concerns around sexual assault, specifically how much money someone must pay to get out of jail. Jurors noticed bonds were inconsistent for sexual assault cases. In some cases, they said bonds appeared to be set in ways that did not align with the seriousness of the charges.

"We feel that it's really crucial to have consistency in bonds and punishments that do match the seriousness of the crime, that would increase offender accountability and decrease the victimization and shame that's related to coming forward for victims," Barkley said. "Sexual assault is such a traumatic experience, and we know that the impact of it is something that is felt throughout the lifetime, and when bonds and punishments do not match the seriousness, it invalidates a victim's experience."

Jurors report that the inconsistencies made it difficult to understand how bond amounts were determined and whether they reflected both the severity of the offense and the need to protect the community.

The Davidson County District Attorney's Office said that magistrates set the bonds, and they're usually based on things like criminal history, severity of the charge or whether they're a flight risk.

Still, sexual assault advocates believe inconsistent bonds add another layer of difficulty to an already hard situation to go through in the court system.

"Many situations of sexual violence and assault is extremely hard to prove, and so it ends up being a he said she said situation. And for many victims, that's a situation they don't want to be in," Barkley said.

Meanwhile, the report also noted cases involving children where it appeared that parents were aware of their partner's history as a sexual offender, but still put their kids in situations that could have been avoided. The jurors felt the parents should be held accountable and charged with child endangerment.

"Overall, we just need to hold perpetrators and anyone who enables perpetrators accountable," Barkley said.

The grand jury's recommendations are shared with prosecutors and lawmakers in hopes of improving the justice system.

If you are a victim of sexual assault, advocates want you to know it's not your fault and to reach out to the sexual assault center; their phone number is 866-811-7473.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville/davidson-county-grand-jury-report-raises-concerns-surrounding-sexual-assault-bonds/