Justice after trauma? Race, red tape keep sexual assault victims from compensation

• Bureaucratic hurdles and racial disparities restrict access to victim compensation for adult survivors of sexual assault, deepen justice system inequities and compound trauma. • The absence of police verification of a crime is the primary reason for rejection, representing 34.4% of disapproved requests-which account for roughly 8 out of every 100 applicants, according to a new University of Michigan study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

Article Summaries:

• Bureaucratic hurdles and racial disparities restrict access to victim compensation for adult survivors of sexual assault, deepen justice system inequities and compound trauma. The absence of police verification of a crime is the primary reason for rejection, representing 34.4% of disapproved requests-which account for roughly 8 out of every 100 applicants, according to a new University of Michigan study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

Sources:

• https://phys.org/news/2026-02-justice-trauma-red-tape-sexual.html