We are thrilled to announce that the Star Tribune’s Denied Justice team has been selected as the recipient of the inaugural Conference on Crimes Against Women’s IGNITE Award that will be presented at the 14th Annual Conference in April in Dallas. In the past year, issues of violence against women have begun reaching the national stage like never before. In acknowledgment of the varied courageous efforts that are sparking awareness and action across the country, we have created the IGNITE award. In this inaugural year, we are thrilled to spotlight the Denied Justice team for their particularly impressive work in bringing injustice out of the darkness and lighting the fire of change not only in their community, but across the nation.
Over the past year, the Star Tribune has examined more than 1,400 rape and sexual assault case files from the 20 law enforcement agencies across Minnesota that reported the highest number of sexual assault reports to the FBI. Because of their unyielding dedication to bringing this injustice to the light, the Star Tribune team held their systems accountable to ensure these survivors receive justice.
It is difficult to know the countless hours of investigation, fact-checking, writing, and production that went into the exhaustive exposé that is Denied Justice. We applaud the Star Tribune’s commitment of time, space, and resources. And, we are honored to have the opportunity to recognize Jennifer Bjorhus, Brandon Stahl, Renée Jones Schenider, and MaryJo Webster for creating systemic change and ensuring that survivors of sexual assault are not forgotten. READ THE FULL STORY HERE