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The violence of Hmong gangs and the crime of rape
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,The, Feb, 2003 by Richard Straka
These gang rapes and prostitution of young females are happening everywhere, not just in large cities. "There is a market out there for young girls, and the Hmong community is not seeing this, they are not acknowledging it." (5)
Investigating Hmong Gang Rapes
Due to their violent behavior, high degree of mobility, and broad level of contacts around the country, Hmong gangs require law enforcement agencies to practice quality tactics and maintain adequate communication when conducting investigations. One of the most important aspects in the investigation of a gang rape involves what the street officer does at the scene. The street officer may not even know that a crime has occurred or may believe that some juveniles only have been drinking. All officers have responded to calls where they encounter a group of young males and females who have been drinking at a house or a motel. The difference in incidents involving Hmong females with older males is that there probably has been more happening than just drinking. Officers on the scene of such incidents should--
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* compare the ages of the females to the ages of the males (11- to 13-year-old females in a room with adult or teenage males indicates a problem);
* separate the females from the males and from each other (the females may be more afraid of the police than of the males with them);
* ask the females their names, maybe more than once (they may lie because they are afraid to go home, or they may be runaways);
* ask the females how long they have been with the males in the room, how they know them, and where they met the males;
* question the males about who they are and how they know the females;
* search the room for evidence of sexual assaults, including condom wrappers, condoms, and blood on the mattresses;
* check the motel records to determine who rented the room; and
* note and photograph any gang graffiti (if officers are unsure whether a crime occurred, they should make every effort to ensure that they properly identify everyone, including photographing the people involved and the surroundings).
When assigned a gang rape or prostitution case involving a Hmong female victim, the investigator may face difficulties. The incident may have happened days or weeks earlier and little or no evidence may exist. The victim may be a runaway or may have left home willingly with a group of unknown males or gang members. Regardless, investigators must trust the victim, gain her trust, and not question her judgment in allowing herself to become a victim or not reporting the incident in a timely manner. The victim not only has been sexually assaulted and threatened but also faces possible cultural consequences. One 12-year-old victim stated, "I was given two choices; the gang would kill me if I talked, or I could just keep hanging out with the gang members and they could have sex with me when they wanted." She also said that she was afraid to tell anyone because, being Hmong, she was afraid of what her parents would do to her. She felt as though her parents would blame her for getting raped, yell at her, hit her, or, worse, kick her out of the house.
