Five years after a study from the Women’s Fund of Greater Fort Wayne revealed a majority of women in Allen County had experienced some kind of crime in their lifetime, new data shows the situation there has worsened in the area of violent crimes.
A 2025 Women’s Fund study found that 45% of women living in Allen County, aged 18 to 64, have experienced domestic or intimate partner violence. And 40% have experienced sexual assault or rape.
In both cases, that’s a 10% increase from the 2020 data.
It’s a tough truth for Cassie Beer, who heads up the Women’s Fund.
“Domestic violence and sexual assault are common experiences for women in Allen County,” Beer said. “And we know it’s under-reported because women and girls don’t even expect to be believed.”
Further exacerbating the problem, Beer said, is the backlog of untested rape kits.
Indiana, she said, has “the second-highest backlog for rape kits in the United States. It’s understandable why someone would be hesitant to go through that process (of reporting), just to have that evidence thrown on top of a never-ending pile.”
It’s an ongoing issue plaguing the state. Indiana has an estimated 600 rape kits that are waiting to be processed, but are stalled due to limited resources relative to both funding and expert personnel.
“I hope more Hoosiers remember that survivors are not defined by what happened to them, and they don’t owe anyone their story, their timeline, or their ‘proof.’”
— Cassie Beer, Women’s Fund director
Last year, a bill was co-authored by Rep. Becky Cash, a Republican from Zionsville, and Rep. Lorissa Sweet, a Republican from Wabash, that was designed to help Indiana State Police clear the shelves. It earmarked $2.5 million in funding for testing and equipment. That bill made it through the House, but stalled in the Senate.
Cash and Sweet have paired up again this year to revive their effort to address the issue.
“For women and girls to feel safe reporting violent crime, the process has to become more survivor-oriented and less intimidating. That starts with being believed and treated with dignity from the very first interaction,” Beer said. “The process is overwhelming, and due to funding cuts, it’s getting worse. We need a better system of care.”
Some positive steps forward
One of the ways The Women’s Fund of Greater Fort Wayne has seen progress lies in the efforts to address how violence against women is handled in local court systems.
In 2023, a civil domestic violence court was established in Allen County, though Beer hopes for it to eventually expand into the criminal courts as well.
“I would love to see a problem-solving court on the criminal side,” she said. “Restorative justice instead of punitive processes.”
Domestic violence, or problem-solving courts, are not a new idea. Marion County has one of the oldest problem-solving courts in the country, which was established on a part-time basis in 1986.
At the time, it was the only one of its kind in Indiana.
Today, the state has 140 of them in 61 of 92 counties.
These specialized processes are meant to assist community members who have unique considerations, especially when it comes to domestic violence cases. Those crimes significantly disrupt a household, and often compromise the victim’s access to basic needs.
Places like Bedford, Indiana, tout programs that see individuals who complete the requirements reduce violent responses by as much as 92%.
Beer said that while integral to systemic change, it’s not only the courts’ responsibility to evolve in such a way that victims feel more comfortable reporting a crime.
The public needs to make shifts as well, she said.
“I hope more Hoosiers remember that survivors are not defined by what happened to them, and they don’t owe anyone their story, their timeline, or their ‘proof,’” Beer said. “As a community, our role is to listen without judgment, believe survivors, and shift the focus away from questioning their choices and towards accountability and prevention.”
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Ashley Ford is a Free Press Indiana reporter focused on issues affecting women and girls across Indiana. You can reach her at ashley.ford@freepressindiana.org.
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