Letter to the editor
I never thought I’d be writing this, but the time has come to speak out and share my story publicly. On April the 6th, I was raped by Jeremy Cunningham, a man I met through a dating app. What followed was not just the trauma of the assault itself but the deep, ongoing frustration of a broken justice system that failed me at every turn. Jeremy Cunningham still walks free, and I refuse to stay silent any longer.
When I reported the crime, I expected the system to protect me. I sought justice and safety through the proper channels, but time and again, I was let down. Detective McCazzio, the detective assigned to my case by GPD, did not treat it with the urgency or seriousness it deserved. I called repeatedly for updates, only to hear the same excuses and empty promises. I felt like I was fighting for my life, but the system was fighting against me. Worse still, I was denied a restraining order multiple times, leaving me feeling even more vulnerable.
In July, a sworn complaint was filed for two counts of sexual battery, but the State Attorney’s office ultimately decided not to prosecute Jeremy, claiming there wasn’t enough evidence to move forward—even though there was physical proof of the assault and a history of criminal behavior. It felt like a slap in the face, like my pain and fear didn’t matter. How could the justice system ignore the evidence? How could they allow him to walk away, knowing what he had done?