Emergency phone operator tells rape victim to "quit crying"
"Ma'am, you're going to have to quit crying."
By Ellen Scott
Calm, collected, supportive - those are the kind of attributes you want in someone on the other end of an emergency call. When a woman near Ohio State University called 911 after being raped, she was confronted with pretty much the opposite in the form of a 911 operator who told her to "quit crying."
The 20 year old woman called 911 after she woke up at a friend's house with a man pointing a gun at her head and demanding sexual acts. Sobbing, she asked the 911 operator if it was possible to help find the accused rapist by tracking the location of her cell phone, which the man had taken. The operator responded bluntly with "No. We can't. That's why I need to know where you are."
The woman then tried to give the operator more information, such as the details of the attack. The operator said "Ma'am, you're going to have to quit crying so I can get the information from you."
When the victim continued to explain that she was "nervous" and "had no idea" how the alleged perpetrator had got into the house, the operator followed with "well, they're not going to be able to find him on the information that you've given."
Luckily, Columbus, Ohio, police found and arrested the alleged rapist, Michael Callaghan on charges of rape and burglary.
The phone operator, however, isn't going to receive any discipline, because the victim received help in the end. The Columbus police do admit that the call "could have been handled better".
You can listen to the call in full here.
Image from RexFeatures
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