Ogg says DA's office needs reform to protect rape victims

Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson discusses the lawsuit against their office Friday, July 22, 2016 in Houston regarding the jailing of a mentally ill rape victim to ensure she testified against her rapist. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle ) less Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson discusses the lawsuit against their office Friday, July 22, 2016 in Houston regarding the jailing of a mentally ill rape victim to ensure she testified against her ... more Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Staff Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Staff Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Ogg says DA's office needs reform to protect rape victims 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

District attorney candidate Kim Ogg pushed for reform Tuesday in the treatment of crime victims following the high-profile jailing of a rape victim so she would testify in court.

Ogg said the district attorney's office could use funding to better house the victims if they are worried witnesses might not show up in court, and she suggested creation of a new division in the city that would be responsible for prosecuting people who commit sex crimes.

"I will never put a crime victim in jail to secure a conviction," she said at a Tuesday press conference. "There are so many other things we can do."

Ogg said she wants to eliminate the backlog of rape kits by using drug forfeiture funds.

Ogg said she wants to prevent mistreatment of crime victims. The rape victim who was jailed has since filed a lawsuit against the Harris county district attorney's office, saying she was abused again while in jail.

Houston-based psychiatrist Harvey Rosenstock said the victim was essentially "double raped."

"The system itself victimizes [the victim] and serves them up a double slice of PTSD," he said. "There's got to be another way."

Ogg, a Democrat, is facing incumbent Republican District Attorney Devon Anderson in the November general election.

Anderson has defended the actions by prosecutors to jail the woman, who had a mental breakdown on the witness stand while testifying against her rapist. Prosecutors said she indicated she would appear in court, so they sought a "witness bond" to hold her until her testimony was needed.

The woman was initially transferred to a psychiatric center and then to the jail to await the trial. She ended up spending the Christmas holiday in jail but was released in January. She has filed a federal lawsuit over the jailing.