**** victim's names being released...is it right?

chelseagirl · 03-29-2007, 08:36 AM

I've been anxiously awaiting the trial of a man who ***** me 17 years ago, when I was 14. I never went to the police back then, but recently, when I saw in the paper that he had been arrested for a the kidnapping, **** and torture of a woman from my home town, I called the police department and told them my story. The police department has updated me occassionally as to when his trial is, etc. I was quite bummed to hear from the detective yesterday that his March trial was postponed to September. Even though he's not on trial or going to be punished for what he did to me, I still feel like that chapter of my life will have some closure in knowing that he is in prison. So, I googled his name to see if I could find any articles or additional information. My google search pulled up copies of actual court documents in the case. I was HORRIFIED to see that these court documents, which are posted on the internet via the presiding court's website, had the full name of the victim.

I was quite shocked about this. I had expected her name to be redacted from the documents. I feel that it's very dangerous because what's to stop friends and family of the accused rapist from obtaining her name, tracking her down and harrassing her, or even worse? I find this unsettling, to say the least.

What do you think? Do you think there should be laws protecting the names of **** victims from becoming part of publicly accessable records?

DarkHeartedDemoness · 03-30-2007, 09:15 AM

I think it's incredibly wrong of them to release her name. I don't think it has any relevance whatsoever what the identity of the victim is. The only thing the public needs to know is what he did, not who he did it to.

Underwater Ophelia · 03-30-2007, 09:24 AM

Not only that, but so many women just keep it to themselves when they're r.aped or sexually assaulted. This will just make that go further.

Kraven de Sade · 03-30-2007, 05:50 PM

I'm of two minds on this.

On one hand, I don't see why the names shouldn't be released. At the same time I think that for the duration of the trials the victims should be place in protective custody. I know, that's not always a viable option, but if the rules change for every single case chaos ensues.

On the other hand, I can understand why people believe the victims' names should be with-held. By that same token, I also believe that, if the victims' names will be kept from the public, the names of the accused should be with-held as well for the same reasons.

ugh... · 04-07-2007, 12:42 PM

I think that it depends on the crime. In break-ins and robberies I don't have any qualms with the release of victim's names. When it comes to rapes, violations, and other personal crimes I think it is DEPLORABLE! I know a child who was molested. If his name ever came out in a newspaper he would not just feel violated by his attacker, but also by the media and the world! I can't believe they release some victim's names in such cases!

Lapin · 04-07-2007, 01:33 PM

I agree with the 'deplorable'. This is enough to make me livid, really. I would hate if they released my name if I pressed charges against the man who molested me as a child. It's just humiliating.

My sympathies to you Ms. Chelsea, on your horrible expierence, and my hopes that he rots in prison.

Rizash · 04-08-2007, 03:20 AM

AHEM..... First I'm totally a victims rights believer... BUT.... I'm a victims rights believer.... Being wrongly accused of a crime makes you a VICTIM.... I dont think ANYONES name should be released until things are settled... it makes fair trial almost impossible. This court system is so biassed as it is that word versus word the victim has more sway with most juries than the supposed perp. I've read that in something like 70% of bank roberies a witness gives an accurate description.... of a bystander or bank teller!!! People are often arrested for things they didnt do and are too often sentanced for things they didnt do.... How many convictions have been overturned by physical evidence years after the fact? Hundreds.... I'm sorry but about the only thing I can think of that is worse than a woman being violated is having her not only go through that, the pain of a trial... the slight closure of a conviction... then years or decades later finding out he isnt the person who did it... having to live with the fact she had something to do with ruining another innocent persons life AND facing the fact that the slime that comitted the crime in the first place is still out there... unpunished. Sorry for the rant but seriously this justice system is so backwords.... The words the victim says are ALWAYS more potent than the supposed perp. Releasing their name etc.... ruins their life needlessly if they are innocent. I believe in FAIR trials... not the media circus that we have today..... People make mistakes... why ruin more lives?

And just so all the girls out there dont think I'm turning my back on them.... I HATE 90% or so of the male population for the way they look at women... it makes me sick.... the court system is the only place women always have more sway, and its downright scary what could happen with that power. Either by intent or by mistake... it hurts everyone. I guess it just hits my "I hate big brother" nerve. End rant

Renatus · 04-08-2007, 05:56 AM

One thing studies have shown is that rapists look for people who have either been ***** in the past, or for new people who they have studied and have been shown to be vulnerable to it.

DarkHeartedDemoness · 04-08-2007, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rizash

AHEM..... First I'm totally a victims rights believer... BUT.... I'm a victims rights believer.... Being wrongly accused of a crime makes you a VICTIM.... I dont think ANYONES name should be released until things are settled... it makes fair trial almost impossible. This court system is so biassed as it is that word versus word the victim has more sway with most juries than the supposed perp. I've read that in something like 70% of bank roberies a witness gives an accurate description.... of a bystander or bank teller!!! People are often arrested for things they didnt do and are too often sentanced for things they didnt do.... How many convictions have been overturned by physical evidence years after the fact? Hundreds.... I'm sorry but about the only thing I can think of that is worse than a woman being violated is having her not only go through that, the pain of a trial... the slight closure of a conviction... then years or decades later finding out he isnt the person who did it... having to live with the fact she had something to do with ruining another innocent persons life AND facing the fact that the slime that comitted the crime in the first place is still out there... unpunished. Sorry for the rant but seriously this justice system is so backwords.... The words the victim says are ALWAYS more potent than the supposed perp. Releasing their name etc.... ruins their life needlessly if they are innocent. I believe in FAIR trials... not the media circus that we have today..... People make mistakes... why ruin more lives?

And just so all the girls out there dont think I'm turning my back on them.... I HATE 90% or so of the male population for the way they look at women... it makes me sick.... the court system is the only place women always have more sway, and its downright scary what could happen with that power. Either by intent or by mistake... it hurts everyone. I guess it just hits my "I hate big brother" nerve. End rant

You know that what you said didn't make much sense, right? I mean, it made sense, but it wasn't particularly relevant.

We're talking about releasing the names of the victims. Not the perpetrators. If our justice system is fucked up, that's something we have to deal with, but do you know how many rapists get off scott free every year? The statistic is much higher than the number of people wrongly convicted.

Rizash · 04-08-2007, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkHeartedDemoness

You know that what you said didn't make much sense, right? I mean, it made sense, but it wasn't particularly relevant.

We're talking about releasing the names of the victims. Not the perpetrators. If our justice system is fucked up, that's something we have to deal with, but do you know how many rapists get off scott free every year? The statistic is much higher than the number of people wrongly convicted.

-- If it isnt obvious that I dont feel the names of crime victims should not be released.... well I guess I'm harder to understand than I thought.

Most rapists that go scott free do so because the crime is not reported. This happens because of social pressure, fear, etc... to not report. Society is unbalanced in this respect and there is nothing I can do about it.... A false conviction hurts everyone and CANNOT be undone. Even if they are proven not guilty in a court of law chances are they'll never get a job in their life. I'm the type of guy that used to stick around after work and wait for our female bartender to get in her car and drive off before I'd leave... even if it meant sticking around an hour or so after I was done working. I'm very over careful about women I know BECAUSE there are so many creeps out there these days. Be it human nature something wrong with those people or being raised improperly... there are a lot of sick freaks these days and it ruins society..... The reason I hate unjust arrest so much is because it happens far too often and hurts EVERYONE including future victims, previous victims, current victims and of course the person whos life is ruined.

I dont want to drag this on as it might hurt feelings of people who have been on either side of this.... Bottom line is it makes me sick when the justice system goes crazy either way.... Those who are hurt by people and get no closure I feel for.... Those who are abused by the court system (in all respects not just those unjustly arrested/convicted) I feel for... and I know that fear of false convictions is the number one reason it is very hard to get new convictions in some obvious trials..... They are one and the same problem in many respects.... The bottom line is I wish the people that did this crap in the first place would get the help they need... then this stuff wouldnt happen. I just hate hearing people in a very open minded community jump to the defense of some people but not the defense of others. *WE* are often the open minded part of society and if anyone can see a fair way to do things I would hope it would be us.....

Sorry for the rant, but I know of many cases where people were convicted of crimes they didnt do (and in person have friends that were accused of things they didnt do).... I also know a few **** victims and I feel helpless to do anything about either situation..... Every time I hear of one of these cases I just die a little.

Rizash · 04-08-2007, 06:09 PM

Stupid site is taking literally 5 minutes to post and I tried to correct this 3 times so I ran out of the time limit.... to clarify my typo... I DO NOT think the names of crime victims should be released.... Its just stupid and rubbing salt in wounds.

chelseagirl · 04-10-2007, 08:44 AM

**UPDATE**

Well, after I initially posted this here, I emailed the detective I've been corresponding with and told him my fears, i.e., that the rapist is a pretty popular musician who has a lot of fans who have been posting all over the internet about how he's innocent, and the accuser is a "lying whore", etc., etc., and that I was concerned that his friends and fans could find her name and track her down and do something horrible to her.

The detective never responded to my email, but out of curiosity, this morning I tried to pull up the document in question from the court's website. It has been REMOVED!

I'm overjoyed about this! I have no idea if it was my email to the detective that brought this about, or if it was just mistakenly posted on the court's website in the first place....but regardless, I am relieved.

Lapin · 04-10-2007, 06:45 PM

(breathes a sigh of relief) Thank the Mother. Especially since he is famous. The poor girl.