Holtzclaw's Relevance To Class And Social Work Implications

The current event is entitled, “Former Oklahoma policeman sentenced to 263 years for raping four women”. In Oklahoma City, a police officer has been accused guilty to numerous accounts of sexual assault some of which included rape. The sentence of this man was added up to be 263 years in prison, which is maximum sentence allowed in Oklahoma. This all started when police officer, Daniel Holtzclaw, began preying on vulnerable populations that he knew would trade sex in order to get out of being in trouble with the law. Holtzclaw specifically targeted poorer, African-American woman in Oklahoma City. The victims were forced to perform various sexual acts on him during routine stops while Holtzclaw was working. There were a total of 36 cases involving allegations of sexual assault, some including rape, against Holtzclaw. The women who testified against him told chilling stories of the horror and abuse that was placed on them by the officer. Holtzclaw claims that he is not guilty, but will be sentenced to 263 years in prison. …show more content…
Relevance to class and social work implications
This current event is relevant to class and social work implications because it shows another horrible crime involving police officers which is very relevant in today’s news. It also illustrates the stories of numerous sexual assault victims. This population is one that social workers come into contact with quite frequently. It is important for social workers to understand how to work with sexual assault victims because they are unlike any other client. This type of trauma is one that will haunt the victim for quite possibly his/her life so social workers must know how to provide interventions for this population, especially after an attack from someone who is supposed to bring safety to their