Fred Van Valkenburg, Missoula County chief prosecutor, vehemently defended his office and the police officers involved in the investigations.
“We adamantly deny that we have done any such thing and we are deeply disturbed with the allegation that we have done so,” he said, according to the Missoulian newspaper. “While we have no choice, given the heavy hand of the federal government, but to cooperate with this investigation… I think it is an overreach by the federal government.”
The 80 reported cases occurred in a three-year period. A rash of sexual assault complaints at the University of Montana are also under investigation.
Missoula, a city of about 67,000 people in western Montana, is tied to the school in many ways. The University of Montana is the top employer in the city.
In December, the University of Montana initiated its own investigation after allegations of a female being gang-raped and possibly drugged by other students. The university hired Montana Supreme Court Justice Diane Barz to investigate and she looked into nine alleged sexual assaults from September 2010 through December.
Barz wrote in her report that the university has “a problem of sexual assault on and off campus.”
Perez said there has been at least 11 allegations of sexual assault involving students in the last 18 months.
SOURCE: Justice Department investigates handling of rape allegations in Montana – CNN.com.