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Peace Corps Gang Rape: Volunteer Says U.S. Agency Ignored Warnings

In the case of the gang rape victim, Jess Smochek, she says she was made to feel the attack was her fault because she had been walking alone [in Bangladesh] shortly after 5 p.m.

"I had to list all the things that I had done wrong to cause this to happen to me," she says her counselor told her.

Other women said they were told that by having a drink or two they had invited the attacks.

"I was a risky person, and that I had in some way put myself in that situation," said Adrianna Ault Nolan, who was raped in 1998 but says she still carries the mental scars of the incident.

"I still blame myself," says Christina Holsomback of Alabama, who was raped in the country of Georgia in 2008. "Maybe I should not have had a drink or maybe we shouldn't have gone to dinner."

Victims say Peace Corps counselors are doing great damage. "Just because someone has a drink doesn't give anyone the right to violate them," said Casey Frazee. "And they need to stop telling survivors that."

"When bad things happen, you say to yourself, 'How did I bring this upon myself?' and I think, unfortunately, Peace Corps is hoping you'll think in that direction, too," said rape victim Adrianna Ault Nolan.

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