R.I.S.E. Together: Rape Case

Showing posts with label Rape Case. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Montana Teacher Rape Case

In a widely covered news story, a Montana teacher, Stacey Rambold, was sentenced and released from prison after serving only 30 days in jail. He will still have to register as a sex offender and is considered to be on probation until 2028, but his sentence has been heavily criticized by the people.

Rambold was convicted of raping Cherice Moralez, a 14-year-old girl and one of his students, in 2007. When his case went to trail Moralez took her own lifein 2010 before Rambold went to trial.

In an interview with the Associated Press Moralez's mother, Auliea Hanlon, said that man has managed to avoid what she considers to be justice.“I figured he'd be fired, go to jail, and she would be vindicated, and that would be the end of it,” Hanlon said. “Instead, here it is six years later, still going on, and he's getting out.... He's still skating.”

“I considered going down to the jail to forgive him, but I don't know,” she said. “I'm still waiting for a sign from God.” Tears streamed down Auliea Hanlon's face as she described the emotions that have at times overwhelmed her since a church counselor her daughter confided in first told Hanlon about the rape.

Hanlon has said Rambold's actions were a "major factor" in her daughter's suicide. Moralez felt guilty for ruining Rambold's life, and was ostracized and ridiculed by her peers after details in the case became public, Hanlon said. Hanlon said her focus remains on Rambold and the appeal of his sentence, which prosecutors said could take six to 18 months to work its way through the Montana Supreme Court.

So what was the reasoning for the judge’s decision on the light sentence? Judge G. Todd Baugh said that the girl was “older than her chronological age” and “as much in control of the situation as was the defendant.” This of course caused a huge backlash with the general populace. Women’s advocates including the state chapter of National Organization for Women filed a complaint against Baugh and delivered petitions with 144,000 signatures along with the complaint to the state Judicial Standards Commission. The complaint asks that Baugh be removed from the bench “for his misconduct related to his handling of and speech about the rape case involving the sentencing of Stacey Rambold.”

Baugh did release and official apology saying: “I made some really stupid remarks. It didn't come out right and I owe the whole county, but maybe even the whole country, especially women, an apology.” But it seems to be too little, too late with the people.

Rambold acknowledged his actions in a 2010 deferred prosecution agreement made after Moralez killed herself. The agreement allowed Rambold to remain free for more than three years until he was kicked out of a sex offender treatment program for unauthorized visits with relatives' children. He was returned to court and sentenced as part of a new arrangement in August.

According to the current agreement in the case, Rambold must register as a level one sex offender, which means he must make his residence open to officers for home visits. He is barred from working with children.

State officials are also asking Montana's higher courts to send Rambold back to prison for a longer term. Prosecutors said Baugh's lenient sentence was not allowed under a state law that requires Rambold to serve a mandatory minimum of two years in prison.

In court documents and during the sentencing hearing, Lansing described his client as a one-time offender with no prior record who took responsibility for his actions when he admitted to a single count of rape under a 2010 deferred prosecution agreement that was made after Moralez killed herself. The agreement with prosecutors allowed Rambold to remain free for more than three years until he was kicked out of his sex offender treatment and for not disclosing that he was in a sexual relationship with a Washington woman.

I hope this case continues to shine light on the easy slap on the wrist sentences that rapists and abusers like this continue to receive. Everyone, including the media, keeps forgetting that this girl has died. She committed the ultimate and final act. The pain and torture she felt was too much and she took her own life because of victim blaming. This has to end; we have to start showing more love and less hate to those that have been tortured by men like this.

This is where you can make a difference. Reach out a hand to those who feel alone. Reach out to those that are afraid to come forward for this very reason. Show them how to RISE.

For more information see:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/09/26/ex-montana-teacher-who-raped-student-to-be-released-victim-mother-says-skating/

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-montana-teacher-released-after-30day-sentence-in-rape-of-student-20130926,0,6087028.story

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Email: VoiceforHeather@yahoo.com

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Steubenville, Ohio and Rape Culutre

As many of you might have heard two boys have been charged in a date rape case in Steubenville, Ohio. This particular case has sparked a national outrage against the community of Steubenville for covering up and actually sympathizing with the rapist these heinous acts.

“On the night of August 11, 2012, when a heavily inebriated high school girl was publicly and repeatedly sexually violated by her peers, several of whom documented the acts in social media. The victim was transported to various parties, undressed, photographed, sexually assaulted, and orally penetrated. She was also penetrated vaginally by other students' fingers, an act defined as rape under Ohio law. The jocular attitude of the assailants was documented on Facebook, Twitter, text messages, and cell phone recordings of the acts. The incident and ensuing legal proceedings generated considerable controversy and galvanized a national conversation about rape and rape culture. Two students, Ma'lik Richmond and Trent Mays, both 16 at the time of the crime, have been convicted in juvenile court for the rape of a minor.”

For those that are confused, rape culture is consider to be “a concept used to describe a culture in which rape and sexual violence are common and in which prevalent attitudes, norms, practices, and media normalize, excuse, tolerate, or even condone rape.”

There’s a really great article about rape culture and this particular case by Lauren Nelson on her blog, http://rantagainsttherandom.wordpress.com.

“Rape culture is when you’re tired of hearing about “rape culture” because it makes you uncomfortable, as your attempt to silence discourse on the subject means we never raise enough awareness to combat it – and that’s part of why it sticks around.”

Rape culture is why even though the evidence is there and the victim was willing to testify both rapists received the minimum sentence they could. Despite possibly evidence that the girl was drugged, they still are getting off almost scott-free. Even though evidence is still coming out that the coaches knew what happened and covered it up to save their “promising football careers.”

“On March 17, 2013, Judge Thomas Lipps tried Mays and Richmond as juveniles and found them guilty of rape. Each defendant received the minimum sentence for their convicted crimes, with the possibility of remaining in juvenile detention until age 21. The judge set the minimum sentence of one year for Richmond, who was found guilty of using his fingers to penetrate the girl while she was unconscious. Mays, who was found guilty of penetrating the girl while she was unconscious and disseminating pornographic pictures of her, was given the minimum sentence of two years. Because the girl was a minor, Mays was charged with and convicted of the dissemination of child pornography, which is the reason for his additional year in juvenile detention. Whether or not Mays and Richmond will be added to the sexual-offenders registry depends on a future hearing to evaluate their behavior once they have turned 21.”

To add insult to injury major news networks shared the name of the victim on national television, allowing the 16-year-old to be blasted with hate mail and death threats. Despite of this her family has pulled together and is trying to find the good in everything.

“My family and I are hopeful that we can put this whole ordeal behind us. We need and deserve to focus on our daughters future. We hope that from this something good can arise. I feel I have an opportunity to bring an awareness to others, possibly change the mentality of a youth or help a parent to have more of an awareness to where their children are and what they are doing.”

“This does not define who my daughter is. She will persevere, grow & move on."

-Mother of Steubenville rape victim.

And small signs of progress as being made as seen by the Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine when he said the following the arrest of the two girls who threatened the Steubenville victim via Twitter after the guilty verdicts were announced:

“Threatening a teenage rape victim will not be tolerated. If anyone makes a threat verbally or via the Internet, we will take it seriously, we will find you, and we will arrest you.”

Those words were also a statement against a culture that minimizes or even glorifies violence against women and holds athletes to a different standard by which even criminal behavior is deemed acceptable.

I pray she will persevere, grow and move on. I pray that we all can, but we must never forget that people are still willing to protect themselves where rape is involved. We will stand behind you 16-year-old beautiful girl. We will support you and stand with you as you face those horrible tough and trying time each day. We are proud of you for facing your attackers in prison and saying “I may have drank, but that didn’t mean it was ok for you to rape me.” R.I.S.E. is here for you and whatever you may need.

Thank you for being so strong.

Thank you for standing up.

Thank you for speaking out where no one else would.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Penn State Scandal - Coming Out About Abuse

If you’re like me you had never heard of Penn State before 2011, but thanks to a huge child sexual abuse case, now almost everyone knows the school. For those of us that need a recap, this is a summary of what happened accord to Wikipedia.

“Involved university football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky's sexual assault of at least eight underage boys on or near university property, and actions by some university officials to cover up the incidents or to enable more. Based on an extensive grand jury investigation, Sandusky was indicted in 2011 on 52 counts of child molestation dating from 1994 to 2009, though the abuse may have dated as far back as the 1970s. Per the findings of the grand jury, several high-level school officials were charged with perjury, suspended, or dismissed for covering up the incidents or failing to notify authorities. In the wake of the scandal, school president Graham Spanier was forced to resign, and head football coach Joe Paterno was fired late in the 2011–12 season, while Sandusky maintained his innocence.

The trial of Jerry Sandusky on 52 charges of sexual crimes against children started on June 11, 2012, at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. Four charges were subsequently dropped, leaving 48. On June 22, 2012, Sandusky was found guilty on 45 of 48 counts of sexual abuse. Sandusky faces a minimum sentence of 60 years — effectively a life sentence at his age.^”

This case is particularly important because it not only was a huge cover up, but it involved boys. Male rape and abuse is still considered a rare occurrence, so the fact you have so many guys coming out about what happened is extraordinary. They all suffered different levels of anal and oral sex, along with molestation and being forced to shower with said offered. I’d like to take a moment to offer my condolences and sincere gratitude to each and every guy that came out about what happened to them, not only for themselves, but for all the other boys that suffered at this man’s hands. I’m glad that such harsh charges have fallen on such deep betrayal of trust, and hope that others can gather more encouragement about coming forward in their own abuse cases.

In an episode of SVU they were trying to get a girl to come forward and testify about her rape. The girl torn between the issue listened to this simple piece of advice from the detective on her case. “I never met a victim that regretted testifying.” It’s a very powerful statement. Even though testifying is one of the hardest things a victim will face, not only in court, but out of it as well; in the end, I haven’t heard many, if any, cases where they regret their testimony. It’s a validation to what happened to you and even if your abuser gets off somehow you still not only told your story, but often give someone else who might have also suffered from the same abuser the courage to come forward, as was the case in this episode.The people that covered up the Penn State abuse didn’t get away scott free either.

“On July 23, 2012 the NCAA imposed sweeping penalties on Penn State--among the most severe ever imposed on an NCAA member school--including a fine of $60 million, a four-year postseason ban and vacating of all victories from 1998-2011. In doing so, NCAA President Mark Emmert stated that the sanctions were levied "not to be just punitive, but to make sure the university establishes an athletic culture and daily mindset in which football will never again be placed ahead of education, nurturing and protecting young people." The Big Ten Conference subsequently imposed an additional $13 million fine.”

I can only hope that the victims put through the ordeals of this trail and such a high profile case can to feel this relief about having this secret revealed.

“As of July 2012, two other investigations are ongoing: a federal criminal probe by the local United States Attorney launched shortly after the discovery of Sandusky's crimes, and a separate probe from the Department of Education into whether Penn State responded to the incident properly and reported it in accordance with federal law.”

May you all gain the courage and empowering support that these men had to come forward and stop the cycle of abuse. For those of you that are still wrestling with this decision, here at R.I.S.E. we are all here for you and offer our support and advice the best we can.