The Story:
At 17 years old, Chrystul Kizer was charged with the death of a man, Randall P. Volar III, whose body was found in his burning home in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kizer was charged with first degree murder, arson, and possession of a firearm. Her bail was set to $1 million and is set to spend the rest of her life in prison.
According to Kizer and her legal counsel, Kizer was taken from Milwaukee to Kenosha, Wisconsin, moved for the purposes of the sexual exploitation of her body. Kizer resisted Volar’s attempt to forcibly engage in sexual activity and during her struggle to escape, Kizer shot and killed Volar out of self-defense. District Attorney Graveley stated that Chrystul was “merely hired as a prostitute”, “involved in a business transaction,” and that she had “come to this community from another [to kill her trafficker].” The DA has evidence of the trafficking that Kizer experienced however have not been acted upon. The statements made against Kizer frames the narrative of her story that she is a criminal and deserves to live a life rotting in prison, and her own experiences are worth less than a white male.
The main legislation of sex trafficking in the United States is the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). The TVPA states that a person engaged in the commercial sex industry who was recruited or obtained through the means of force, fraud, or coercion for the purposes of sexual exploitation is considered an individual who has been trafficked. Above the age of 18, proof of trafficking occurs through the force, fraud, or coercion experienced upon entering or staying in the industry. An individual under the age of 18, no matter how they entered the sex industry, is considered a sex trafficking victim. In the case of Kizer, she was under the age of 18, therefore no matter how she may have entered the industry, the law should protect her because of the sexual exploitation she had experienced. However, she is being convicted and criminalized as an adult and the DA and government are straight up ignoring the understanding that she is herself a victim of serious trauma and offenses.
Reports have failed to discuss Volar’s criminal life, only amplifying Kizer’s. During the same time that Kizer was taken to Kenosha, Volar was under active investigation by the Kenosha Police department of sexual conduct with underage girls and production of child pornography. However, these investigations on Volar have been ignored during the trial of Kizer and she is seen as a murderer, delinquent, and life being worthless because she defended herself from a sexual predator.
Larger Issue Facing Woman and Girls:
Black women are historically denied the right to self-defense and are sentenced to jail time greater than their white counterpart. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) reports that black and brown women and girls are 3.5 times more likely to be incarcerated than white girls. Further, the Medical College of Wisconsin on sex trafficking in the city of Milwaukee report that 65% of girls who are trafficked under the age of 25 were Black women. The statistics of minor girls in the sex industry disproportionately show that black girls are trafficked into the sex industry than their white counterparts. Black women and girls are not trusted, respected, or heard in regards to their own safety, violence, or unwanted sexual advances. Kizer’s story is just one of the many instances that has been charged wrongfully for surviving violence.
Theories that put this story in greater perspective:
Author Cheryl Nelson composed an article title, “the racial roots of human trafficking” that explores the intersectionality of race and sex trafficking. Nelson examines the historic characterization that black woman are seen as ‘jezebel figures.” Jezebel is a biblical character that symbolizes “lust, sexual immorality, innate wickedness, and disobedience. Casting this identity on black women throughout history gives the notion to men, specifically white men, that “black women and girls exhibit an insatiable appetite for free and loose sex, thereby excusing white men’s unlimited sexual access to abuse black woman” (Butler 1470). This narrative still is apparent in our society today as we see that 75% of women in the commercial sex industry, in Wisconsin, are under the age of 25 are black women. This ideology that black women’s bodies are at the control and want of white men is what keeps the sex industry in high demand today. It silences the voices of black women who have experienced abuse and violence against them. And when they do try to defend themselves, they are further suppressed. If you don’t get killed by the white man trying to rape you, we will kill you in prison.
bell hooks in her piece, “Ain’t I a Woman” expresses the term sexual vulnerability. Sexual vulnerability can be interpreted to see one group or people or individual as an ideal subject for slavery because of their sexual vulnerability. Up until the 1930’s, black women could not be ‘raped.’ They were seen as already sexually promiscuous, therefore rape was not considered rape. We see that this ties in with the ‘jezebel’ characterization of black women and roots are still present in today’s society. The fact that black women do not have the rights and protection that is humane allows white men to continually control their ‘wants’ over the life of a human being.
Action Steps:
Chrystul Kizer is still in jail today! Please sign the petition for Chrystul and send a letter to DA Graveley putting pressure on him to grant her clemancy. Further, please donate to the #freechrystul gofundme!
Sources:
Butler, Cheryl. "The Racial Roots of Human Trafficking." UCLA Law Review, vol. 62, no. 6, 2015, pp. 1464-1514.