AllMovie

In the spring of 1991, Florence Holway, a 75-year-old woman, was asleep in her New Hampshire home when she was savagely beaten and raped by an intruder; Holway was able to escape and her attacker was apprehended by police, but to her surprise, prosecutors initially attempted to strike a plea bargain with the rapist, arguing that the existing laws regarding evidence in rape cases would make it difficult to obtain a conviction. Holway was appalled with this suggestion, and not only fought in court to see that the man was punished for his crime, but crusaded to change laws which hindered prosecution in rape cases. The documentary Rape in a Small Town: The Florence Holway Story examines her case and its aftermath, as well as the lasting impact the case had on her family, her community, and the New Hampshire legal system. Produced for the premium cable network HBO, Rape in a Small Town: The Florence Holway Story was screened at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival.