WASHINGTON – Gail Gardner — who while living in Orlando as a single mother in 1988 survived an attack by serial rapist George Girtman — was honored Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice for her ongoing advocacy for fellow victims of sexual assault.
Gardner is the namesake of Florida’s “Gail’s Law,” which cleared the governor’s desk less than a year ago and requires database tracking of rape kits, that keeps victims aware of the status of evidence throughout its testing.
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In November 2019, while seeking to write a memoir for her family, Gardner arrived at Orlando police headquarters looking for her case files. At this time, Gardner’s sexual assault case remained unsolved, but Detective Graham Cage acted on similarities he noticed between her case and some others from the same timeframe.
Upon the resubmission of Gardner’s rape kit to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for testing, a positive match was made with Girtman’s DNA, who was already serving a life sentence for sex crimes which earned him the nickname “Malibu rapist.” The re-examination of more than 24 sex crimes led police to file charges against Girtman for 15 more cases, and close 26 of them.
In a news release, the Justice Department recognized Gardner for her work in social justice, where she continues to advocate for victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence.
“Ms. Gardner survived the horror of sexual assault then waited decades for her assailant to be identified, all the while standing tall against the unknown and remaining determined to help others,” said Amy L. Solomon, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ’s Office for Justice Programs. “Through her fortitude and resilience, she became a strong and vocal advocate for victims of sexual assault and has become a source of inspiration and hope for victims throughout Florida and across the country. A survivor in every sense of the word, Ms. Gardner exemplifies courage.”