Austin’s redemption arc: The embarrassing recent failures and hard-fought reforms in our city’s response to sexual assault

April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. The city of Austin has garnered national attention for its prior failures to investigate cases and support survivors in their healing and, more recently, for its survivor-led reforms.

The Austin Monitor took a look back at the recent challenges and victories in Austin’s sexual assault response system. Here’s a brief timeline.

2016: Shocking revelations come to light about Austin’s forensic DNA lab, including improper testing and storage practices and a decadeslong backlog of DNA from sexual assault cases (including some samples that have grown mold). The Austin Police Department closes the lab in December.

2017: Travis County, under the leadership of former District Attorney Margaret Moore, pulls out of the Austin/Travis County Sexual Assault Response and Resource Team. The SARRT coordinates local response to sexual assault and includes nonprofit partners, legal advocates and members of law enforcement. This move comes after criticism of Moore’s (mis)handling of sexual assault cases. The Austin Police Department (then led by Chief Brian Manley) eventually follows suit, although APD’s Victim Services Division continues to participate.

2018 and 2019: Investigative reports bring national attention to APD’s frequent use of “exceptional clearance” for sexual assault cases. A ProPublica report finds that nearly one-third of recent cases were improperly cleared with no arrest, despite sufficient evidence to make one.

2018: Plaintiffs file a federal class action lawsuit against the city of Austin, Travis County, the Austin Police Department and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. The lawsuit alleges that the survivors’ cases were mishandled because of gender discrimination. The initial lawsuit is dismissed by a judge and then appealed. More women come forward, and a second lawsuit with additional named plaintiffs is filed in a state-level court.

2021: Travis County commissioners vote to settle, concluding their litigation with the survivors.

2022: Austin City Council settles both lawsuits on behalf of the city and commits to significant policy changes. These include a formal apology to survivors and the implementation of findings in an ongoing external review of APD’s management of sexual assault cases (more on this below).

2021: Newly elected Travis County District Attorney José Garza rejoins the SARRT. Reforming the county’s failed response to sexual assault was a key message in Garza’s campaign.

2021: Joseph Chacon is selected as Austin’s next chief of police. APD’s recent mismanagement of sexual assault cases is discussed publicly as City Council deliberates over his confirmation. After Chacon is appointed, APD rejoins the SARRT.

2022: An external review of APD’s approach to sexual assault is published by the Police Executive Research Forum. This third-party report, commissioned by prior Council Member Alison Alter, includes recommendations to improve APD’s management of sexual assault cases.

Some financial recommendations from a preliminary report of the findings had already been implemented by Alter during prior city budget cycles. Pointedly, many of the needs highlighted in the final Police Executive Research Forum report are not budgetary. Several recommendations center on APD “working smarter” and implementing systems that are more survivor-focused and trauma-informed.

2023: The Collective Sex Crimes Response Model Project launches. This working group involves APD, survivors and other community partners. The CSCRM focuses on implementing the recommendations from the PERF report and commitments the city made when settling the lawsuit.

2024: APD and city leaders issue a public apology for their prior mishandling of sexual assault cases, honoring an agreement from the settlement two years earlier.

2024: Ironically, the formal apology coincides with the near-return of former Police Chief Art Acevedo to a new leadership role in a surprise announcement from former interim City Manager Jesús Garza. Acevedo’s appointment was narrowly avoided after survivors raised public concern over his prior mishandling of sexual assault cases.

2024: District Attorney Garza hosts a community event to create a public Remembrance Space to honor survivors. The Remembrance Space was one condition of the county’s settlement agreement. The art installation, created by artist Dianne Sonnenberg and local survivors, is permanently housed at the Ronald Earle Building at 416 W. 11th St.

2024: A documentary about the lawsuit, “An Army of Women,” premieres at South by Southwest.

2024: “An Army of Women” is screened for city leaders, law enforcement representatives, plus SARRT and CSCRM partners at City Hall.  Alter coordinates the screening and presents the city’s annual proclamation for Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

2025: Local theatrical screenings of the film begin, with more screenings to be announced soon.

2025: APD publishes its first annual sexual assault case review in response to one of the PERF report recommendations.

What’s next? During a recent Public Safety Commission meeting, District Attorney Garza noted that the Trump administration’s threats to federal funding could significantly impact our community’s ability to deliver justice and support for survivors, as much of this work relies on federal grants.

Regardless, city and county leaders, APD and nonprofit partners currently seem committed to remaining at the table and supporting the implementation of these reforms. Relevant funding requests were fulfilled during the city’s most recent budget cycle, and APD is working on its next annual case review.

“We’re committed to not just being good, but being the best – setting a national standard for (how) all sexual assault cases … should be handled with professionalism, compassion, and precision,” APD Commander Deanna Lichter said during a press conference last week.

Sources close to the CSCRM have told the Austin Monitor they believe the work needs to continue for a while yet.

Resources for survivors can be found at ATXBelieves.org.

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