Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier and New York-based Human Rights Watch have been sniping at each other for months over HRW’s high-profile claim that the MPD failed to investigate nearly 37 percent of rapes reported during a three-year span, especially those involving alcohol and drugs. The full 197-page report released last week blames MPD detectives of further traumatizing victims by telling them they were “lying” or “wasting my time” and not following up with criminal investigations.

HRW’s analysis was based on 480 sexual assaults reported to police between 2008 and 2011, by women treated at MedStar Washington Hospital Center — the only medical facility in the city that performs forensic examinations of sexual abuse victims. According to Senior Counsel Sara Darehshori, 170 initial police reports (Form 251s) were missing. An additional 34 percent were classified as “miscellaneous” or other low-priority designations.