VANCOUVER, Wash. — A small but mighty group of friends and family gathered at the Clark County courthouse on Wednesday to support a survivor as her rapist was sentenced to prison.
In October, a jury found 51-year-old Michael Bortolini guilty of rape in the second degree. Court documents reveal he met a woman on a dating app, and after meeting her for dinner, took her back to a Vancouver home, where he sexually assaulted her.
The woman who survived that night, Erin, stepped before Judge Robert Lewis to ask for the maximum sentence.
"That night, I wanted to move," Erin recounted to the Clark County judge. "I wanted to scream. I tried to move, but his body weight was on top of me, and I wasn't able to do anything.
"I don't want to ever see him again, and I want him in prison as long as possible."
Erin said she's convinced Bortolini would assault another woman if he wasn't behind bars. Judge Lewis agreed with her and sentenced Bortolini to seven-and-a half years to life.
Speaking to Bortolini, the judge said, "[You] run the risk of having a similar offense in the future because you seem to have a very limited insight about your actions that day. You're in denial about them."
As Erin and her family stepped out of the courtroom, Bortolini was led away in an orange jumpsuit.
"I'm still going to look over my shoulder, but I know he's in prison where he belongs," she said.
On Thursday, the family of Bortolini said he will repeal the sentencing.
While Erin felt some relief after the sentencing, advocates from the National Women's Coalition Against Violence and Exploitation (NWCAVE) claim justice could have come sooner if her rape kit wasn't stuck in a statewide backlog.
Washington State Police on Thursday confirmed the backlog, saying in an email, "This submission occurred during the time we were processing the backlog of cases and experiencing well-chronicled systemic delays."
The agency added that the previous turn-around for DNA requests at the time was about 6 months. Currently, the turnaround is under 40 days, Washington State Police said.
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced in October that thousands of rape kits sitting on shelves across the state have now been processed. Ferguson described it as a step toward justice.
Now, Erin hopes her fight for DNA evidence and strength to tell her story will empower other women to come forward.
"It may have been hard for me to do, but that's fine. He can't do this to anyone else," Erin said.
"He is going to prison for seven-and-a-half years to life. You are safe to come forward. You can call NWCAVE," said Michelle Bart, president of the Vancouver-based organization.