13 Eastern Iowa Deputies File Complaint About County Attorney

All 13 deputies in Cedar County have joined together and filed a complaint with the state about County Attorney Jeff Renander.

Last Thursday, the deputies gave a letter to the state of Iowa's attorney oversight office expressing no confidence in Renander. The letter said deputies believe he's too lenient and has also made comments that are inappropriate to victims of sex crimes in the county. In one case, officers claim to have heard Renander almost blame a woman who had been assaulted.

The letter said deputies were appalled "to hear of examples when Cedar County Attorney Renander has victim-shamed as well as minimized the traumatic experiences of multiple sexual abuse victims, to include child sexual abuse victims.”

Cedar County Chief Deputy Kevin Knoche told the Gazette,

This was not a sudden decision. We’ve had concerns for a while and it finally got to the point where we believed we had to do something. We wanted people to be aware that this is going on and that we don’t approve of it. We don’t want the victims that are out there not feeling like they can come forward and talk to us. I don’t want them to think they’re not going to be believed, or that we won’t take their case seriously or that they won’t get a fair trial or that they will be blamed for what happened to them.

 

There has been no comment on the allegations by County Attorney Jeff Renander or his office.