Dominique D. McClendon, 20, of Knoxville, IL, was charged with kidnapping and aggravated criminal sexual assault, both Class X felonies that are punishable by between 6 and 30 years in prison in Illinois. He was in Judge Steven Bordner's court tring to get his bail lowered from $15,000 to $1500, which his girlfriend had raised by taking out a loan, but Judge Bordner refused, stating that the seriousness of the crimes and the parole violation for the Class 4 felony he was previously convicted of precluded that.
According to police, McClendon abducted a 17-year-old woman near Knox and Henderson streets, where she had been walking, at about 6:30 p.m. May 4. Officer Joe Luna, with the Galesburg Police Department, testified that the victim entered his car in fear of her life, as McClendon told her he “had a gun.”
Luna said the woman told him she was driven around Galesburg and Knox County. She also said she was forced to perform oral sex on McClendon twice, once near Lake Bracken and once near Abingdon.The victim said she vomited inside the car at one point, hoping to leave some evidence behind in case McClendon killed her. She said she learned to do that from watching the “CSI” television series.The woman was dropped off somewhere near Ill. 116 and 117 later that evening, and she flagged down a passing motorist.
McClendon will be formally arrigned on June 11. He faces 6 to 30 years in prison for each count.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Serial Seattle gropers claims 2 dozen victims - a suspect arrested
(Original Post 5-23-08)
A groper who attacked a South Seattle woman over the weekend may have assaulted as many as 23 other in Seattle’s Rainier Valley and Beacon Hill neighborhods.
Seattle police reported that the groper ran up behind a woman walking with her child around 10 AM Saturday morning, and touched her on the buttocks. The victim screamed and ran, bringing out witnesses. The groper, described as a fortyish black man standing 5’-10” with skin blemishes, fled into a vehicle described as a 1994 green Jeep Cherokee.
Police think the same man has continued to prey on women despite increased police patrols, widespread publicity and community meetings about the attacks.
Detectives have not yet spoken to the most recent victim and were urging her to come forward, and asking anyone who knows her to refer her to police.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sexual Assault Unit at 206-684-5575.
The suspect's behavior became more aggressive in the past year, police said. He tried to drag one woman into a dark alley and in January, preyed on two girls, 13 and 14, as they were crossing the street in the 5200 block of 42nd Avenue South.
Groping is considered a “gateway” sexual crime, just like flashing and peeping, and many gropers have turned into rapists, according to authorities.
"That's why are bringing this to the public seeking assistance... ," police spokeswoman Renee Witt said. "It's really important that we talk to this victim from the last attack and any other victims that may be out there."
(Update 5-24-08) There's a suspect in some of the groping cases. Darin Bolar, a father of 2, has been charged with 4th degree assault in the Saturday, May 17 groping and theft of the cell phone of the man who reported it. He was convicted of molesting a teenage girl at a water park and assaulting his girlfriend in the 1990s, and the assault of his girlfriend was pled down from a rape charge. The water park incident lead to a guilty plea and 2 years in prison.
Bolar is a registered Level 1 sex offender, which is the category considered by authorities at minimal risk of recidivism. He is required by law to inform police each time he changes an address, but is not held to more-stringent regular check-ins mandated for higher-risk sex offenders.
A State Patrol sex-offender database shows that Bolar, who has more than a dozen aliases, registered his last known address at 4247 S. Thistle St.
Police think they are looking for at least one other man, possibly a copycat or an accomplice, because of disparities in the descriptions given of the attacker, Witt said.
In all the cases, Asian women were targeted.
(Update 6-6-08) Bolar was in court June 4 for his arrignment. He pleaded not guilty to robbery and assault for the last alleged attack, and is being held on $500,000 bond.
A groper who attacked a South Seattle woman over the weekend may have assaulted as many as 23 other in Seattle’s Rainier Valley and Beacon Hill neighborhods.
Seattle police reported that the groper ran up behind a woman walking with her child around 10 AM Saturday morning, and touched her on the buttocks. The victim screamed and ran, bringing out witnesses. The groper, described as a fortyish black man standing 5’-10” with skin blemishes, fled into a vehicle described as a 1994 green Jeep Cherokee.
Police think the same man has continued to prey on women despite increased police patrols, widespread publicity and community meetings about the attacks.
Detectives have not yet spoken to the most recent victim and were urging her to come forward, and asking anyone who knows her to refer her to police.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sexual Assault Unit at 206-684-5575.
The suspect's behavior became more aggressive in the past year, police said. He tried to drag one woman into a dark alley and in January, preyed on two girls, 13 and 14, as they were crossing the street in the 5200 block of 42nd Avenue South.
Groping is considered a “gateway” sexual crime, just like flashing and peeping, and many gropers have turned into rapists, according to authorities.
"That's why are bringing this to the public seeking assistance... ," police spokeswoman Renee Witt said. "It's really important that we talk to this victim from the last attack and any other victims that may be out there."
(Update 5-24-08) There's a suspect in some of the groping cases. Darin Bolar, a father of 2, has been charged with 4th degree assault in the Saturday, May 17 groping and theft of the cell phone of the man who reported it. He was convicted of molesting a teenage girl at a water park and assaulting his girlfriend in the 1990s, and the assault of his girlfriend was pled down from a rape charge. The water park incident lead to a guilty plea and 2 years in prison.
Bolar is a registered Level 1 sex offender, which is the category considered by authorities at minimal risk of recidivism. He is required by law to inform police each time he changes an address, but is not held to more-stringent regular check-ins mandated for higher-risk sex offenders.
A State Patrol sex-offender database shows that Bolar, who has more than a dozen aliases, registered his last known address at 4247 S. Thistle St.
Police think they are looking for at least one other man, possibly a copycat or an accomplice, because of disparities in the descriptions given of the attacker, Witt said.
In all the cases, Asian women were targeted.
(Update 6-6-08) Bolar was in court June 4 for his arrignment. He pleaded not guilty to robbery and assault for the last alleged attack, and is being held on $500,000 bond.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
New York man held without bond for raping, beating girlfriend
A New York man was ordered held without bond Monday June 2 for allegedly assaulting physically and sexually his girlfriend, a 32-year-old Gardner, MA woman with various weapons including knives, scissors, and a clothes iron.
Michael Molina, 24, was arraigned in Worcester Superior Court on charges of attempted murder, aggravated rape, rape, kidnapping, 15 counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, five counts of mayhem, two counts each of assault with intent to maim, assault and battery and reckless endangerment of a child, and threatening to commit a crime. He pleaded not guilty.
Gardner police found the bloody and badly beaten victim outside her apartment after they responded to a call about a domestic disturbance. The woman's two kids witnessed the event.
Judge John S. McCann held Mr. Molina without bail yesterday at the request of Assistant District Attorney Anthony J. Marotta. The prosecutor said during a dangerousness hearing that the victim was being choked with an electrical cord and had a trash bag over her head when Police Officer John Czasnowski knocked on her door March 25.
Mr. Marotta said the woman was later hospitalized for injuries consistent with those that would have been inflicted by the weapons allegedly used by Mr. Molina. After reading Officer Czasnowski’s police report in the case, Judge McCann found that no conditions of Mr. Molina’s release would ensure the safety of the Gardner woman or the public at large.
Molina has been held since a March 28 dangerousness hearing and his April 24 indictment, which moved the case to Worcester Superior Court. His next court date is June 27.
Michael Molina, 24, was arraigned in Worcester Superior Court on charges of attempted murder, aggravated rape, rape, kidnapping, 15 counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, five counts of mayhem, two counts each of assault with intent to maim, assault and battery and reckless endangerment of a child, and threatening to commit a crime. He pleaded not guilty.
Gardner police found the bloody and badly beaten victim outside her apartment after they responded to a call about a domestic disturbance. The woman's two kids witnessed the event.
Judge John S. McCann held Mr. Molina without bail yesterday at the request of Assistant District Attorney Anthony J. Marotta. The prosecutor said during a dangerousness hearing that the victim was being choked with an electrical cord and had a trash bag over her head when Police Officer John Czasnowski knocked on her door March 25.
Mr. Marotta said the woman was later hospitalized for injuries consistent with those that would have been inflicted by the weapons allegedly used by Mr. Molina. After reading Officer Czasnowski’s police report in the case, Judge McCann found that no conditions of Mr. Molina’s release would ensure the safety of the Gardner woman or the public at large.
Molina has been held since a March 28 dangerousness hearing and his April 24 indictment, which moved the case to Worcester Superior Court. His next court date is June 27.
Hillside strangling victim's alleged attackers arrested
(Original Post 5-8-08)
Martin D. Lyons, 20, and Nico Lewis, 18, of Bellwood, a Chicago suburb have been charged with 1st degree murder after allegedly strangling a woman from the neighboring suburb of Bellwood. Bond was denied after details of her rape and strangulation were read at the hearing, presided over by Judge Donald Panarese.
The victim was identified Thursday as Tanika Hinton, 21, of the 400 block of Englewood Avenue in Hillside. Hinton was found at about 11:30 a.m. Monday in a vacant lot in the 4200 block of West Arthington Street, in Chicago's West Garfield Park neighborhood, authorities said. An autopsy determined she had been strangled, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
Hinton, who had known the men for 2 months, was beated up after they complained she "talked too much," and was pushed into the back of her own car, according to Assistant State's Attorney LuAnn Snow.
Lewis pulled over, forced Hinton into the back seat of her car and sexually assaulted her, Snow said. Lyons then removed his belt, and the two men "wrapped it around the victim's neck, and pulled," Snow said.The two drove to a vacant lot in the 4200 block of West Arthington Street in Chicago and threw Hinton's body into bushes, Snow said. The woman's body was found by authorities Monday night after Hinton was reported missing by her mother.
One of Hinton's acquaintences saw Lyons driving aroung in her car, and wearing the same belt used to strangle Hinton. Hinton's cell phone was programmed with the message, "She Gone Forever."
(Update 6-5-08) Both suspects have been charged with over 2 dozen felony counts. Their arraignment will be on June 18.
[They] were each indicted on 11 counts of first-degree murder, eight counts of attempted aggravated criminal sexual assault, and one count each of aggravated kidnapping, vehicular hijacking, robbery, burglary and concealment of a homicidal death, according to Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton. Lewis also faces one count of possession of a stolen vehicle.
Martin D. Lyons, 20, and Nico Lewis, 18, of Bellwood, a Chicago suburb have been charged with 1st degree murder after allegedly strangling a woman from the neighboring suburb of Bellwood. Bond was denied after details of her rape and strangulation were read at the hearing, presided over by Judge Donald Panarese.
The victim was identified Thursday as Tanika Hinton, 21, of the 400 block of Englewood Avenue in Hillside. Hinton was found at about 11:30 a.m. Monday in a vacant lot in the 4200 block of West Arthington Street, in Chicago's West Garfield Park neighborhood, authorities said. An autopsy determined she had been strangled, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
Hinton, who had known the men for 2 months, was beated up after they complained she "talked too much," and was pushed into the back of her own car, according to Assistant State's Attorney LuAnn Snow.
Lewis pulled over, forced Hinton into the back seat of her car and sexually assaulted her, Snow said. Lyons then removed his belt, and the two men "wrapped it around the victim's neck, and pulled," Snow said.The two drove to a vacant lot in the 4200 block of West Arthington Street in Chicago and threw Hinton's body into bushes, Snow said. The woman's body was found by authorities Monday night after Hinton was reported missing by her mother.
One of Hinton's acquaintences saw Lyons driving aroung in her car, and wearing the same belt used to strangle Hinton. Hinton's cell phone was programmed with the message, "She Gone Forever."
(Update 6-5-08) Both suspects have been charged with over 2 dozen felony counts. Their arraignment will be on June 18.
[They] were each indicted on 11 counts of first-degree murder, eight counts of attempted aggravated criminal sexual assault, and one count each of aggravated kidnapping, vehicular hijacking, robbery, burglary and concealment of a homicidal death, according to Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton. Lewis also faces one count of possession of a stolen vehicle.
72 year old suburban Toronto doctor sentenced to 7 years for "manslaughter"
Peter Edwards STAFF REPORTER, The Toronto Star
An elderly Thornhill gynecologist was sentenced to seven years in prison today for fatally injecting his wife with painkillers.
Ibi Roncaioli was found dead in the family’s Thornhilll mansion on July 20, 2003. An autopsy found she died from a fatal cocktail of drugs, including painkillers and alcohol. As she delivered Joseph Roncaioli’s sentence in Superior Court in Newmarket this morning, Madam Justice Jane Ferguson said: "He was in a position of trust and authority to the deceased."
Roncaioli’s sister began to cry when she heard the verdict against her 72-year-old brother, who was found guilty of manslaughter on Feb. 16. On the other side of the courtroom, family members of Ibi Roncaioli showed no emotion.
The judge said Roncaioli’s crime "more resembles a murder than an accidental killing."
The defense has said it plans to appeal the conviction.
The judge said the doctor deserved a lengthy sentence, even though he had no previous criminal record and an exemplary work history. The judge noted that the doctor took home the painkillers from his office to treat his wife. The doctor earlier testified that his wife had been suffering from unexplained weight loss and a decline in energy. The doctor said she was afraid of physicians, which led him to treat her in the family home.
“It was intentional, not spontaneous,” the judge ruled. “…In my view, a substantial penitentiary sentence is necessary.”
Defense lawyer J. David Hobson had argued for the court to spare the doctor any prison time and to give him a suspended or conditional sentence.
Assistant Crown attorney Martin Dionne said Roncaioli should be sentenced to a term of between 10 and 12 years, and argued that he breached his trust with his wife Ibi when he injected her with painkillers.
The verdict follows an often emotional trial in which the defense portrayed Ibi Rincaioli as the author of her own sad ending, through a secretive and hard-living life. Hobson repeatedly noted during the trial that Ibi Rincaioli pushed her household near bankruptcy, despite her husband’s high income and her lottery winnings of $5 million in 1991.
In passing her sentence, the judge noted the doctor will need continued psychiatric and medical care for a series of health problems, which include a past diagnosis for Hodgkins disease and a major depression disorder. Court heard that he attempted to kill himself in January 2005.
“Dr. Roncaioli is considered to be stable but fragile,” the judge said.
An elderly Thornhill gynecologist was sentenced to seven years in prison today for fatally injecting his wife with painkillers.
Ibi Roncaioli was found dead in the family’s Thornhilll mansion on July 20, 2003. An autopsy found she died from a fatal cocktail of drugs, including painkillers and alcohol. As she delivered Joseph Roncaioli’s sentence in Superior Court in Newmarket this morning, Madam Justice Jane Ferguson said: "He was in a position of trust and authority to the deceased."
Roncaioli’s sister began to cry when she heard the verdict against her 72-year-old brother, who was found guilty of manslaughter on Feb. 16. On the other side of the courtroom, family members of Ibi Roncaioli showed no emotion.
The judge said Roncaioli’s crime "more resembles a murder than an accidental killing."
The defense has said it plans to appeal the conviction.
The judge said the doctor deserved a lengthy sentence, even though he had no previous criminal record and an exemplary work history. The judge noted that the doctor took home the painkillers from his office to treat his wife. The doctor earlier testified that his wife had been suffering from unexplained weight loss and a decline in energy. The doctor said she was afraid of physicians, which led him to treat her in the family home.
“It was intentional, not spontaneous,” the judge ruled. “…In my view, a substantial penitentiary sentence is necessary.”
Defense lawyer J. David Hobson had argued for the court to spare the doctor any prison time and to give him a suspended or conditional sentence.
Assistant Crown attorney Martin Dionne said Roncaioli should be sentenced to a term of between 10 and 12 years, and argued that he breached his trust with his wife Ibi when he injected her with painkillers.
The verdict follows an often emotional trial in which the defense portrayed Ibi Rincaioli as the author of her own sad ending, through a secretive and hard-living life. Hobson repeatedly noted during the trial that Ibi Rincaioli pushed her household near bankruptcy, despite her husband’s high income and her lottery winnings of $5 million in 1991.
In passing her sentence, the judge noted the doctor will need continued psychiatric and medical care for a series of health problems, which include a past diagnosis for Hodgkins disease and a major depression disorder. Court heard that he attempted to kill himself in January 2005.
“Dr. Roncaioli is considered to be stable but fragile,” the judge said.
Rapist sentenced to 2 decades behind bars
Charles Eugene Decker, 58, of Fitzhugh, OK, was sentenced to two decades in prison for a count of rape with instrumentation June 3 in Ada, Oklahoma. He was found guilty during a bench trial by Judge Tom Landrith on May 8. Decker was arrested in April 2007 after the victim told deputies he raped her while asleep.On May 8, Decker was found guilty on the rape charge by Judge Tom Landrith after a non-jury trial.
Decker was arrested in April 2007 by Undersheriff Joe Glover after the victim told deputies he had raped her while she was asleep.The victim took the stand and said she awoke to find Decker touching her below the waist. She said she and her boyfriend lived in a makeshift apartment on Decker’s property doing odd jobs for him.
The night of the incident, the victim, her boyfriend, Decker and his girlfriend had all reportedly been drinking. After the victim and her boyfriend went to sleep the incident occurred, she said. She woke her boyfriend and told him what was going on. At this time, she said she could hear Decker leaving and saying, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
While Decker’s attorney questioned the character and truthfulness of the victim and her boyfriend, Assistant District Attorney Jim Tillison said the facts would show she was telling the truth and her character was not a factor. Decker insisted on testifying on his own behalf admitted he had been drinking and said he blacked-out and didn’t remember anything until he heard the victim yell her boyfriend’s name. He said he “snapped to” and realized he was in the wrong place.
“I didn’t rape that little girl,” Decker said.
According to Assistant District Attorney Jim Tillison, Decker pleaded no contest to two other charges, both for bringing contraband into a jail facility. These charges led to 5 year sentences to be served concurrently with the rape sentence.
Decker was arrested in April 2007 by Undersheriff Joe Glover after the victim told deputies he had raped her while she was asleep.The victim took the stand and said she awoke to find Decker touching her below the waist. She said she and her boyfriend lived in a makeshift apartment on Decker’s property doing odd jobs for him.
The night of the incident, the victim, her boyfriend, Decker and his girlfriend had all reportedly been drinking. After the victim and her boyfriend went to sleep the incident occurred, she said. She woke her boyfriend and told him what was going on. At this time, she said she could hear Decker leaving and saying, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
While Decker’s attorney questioned the character and truthfulness of the victim and her boyfriend, Assistant District Attorney Jim Tillison said the facts would show she was telling the truth and her character was not a factor. Decker insisted on testifying on his own behalf admitted he had been drinking and said he blacked-out and didn’t remember anything until he heard the victim yell her boyfriend’s name. He said he “snapped to” and realized he was in the wrong place.
“I didn’t rape that little girl,” Decker said.
According to Assistant District Attorney Jim Tillison, Decker pleaded no contest to two other charges, both for bringing contraband into a jail facility. These charges led to 5 year sentences to be served concurrently with the rape sentence.
ALL RAPE CHARGES AGAINST POLICE OFFICER DROPPED
(Original post 4-22-08)
A Parachute, CO cop is being held in a Pitkin county jail on suspicion of sexual assault even though the incident allegedly occured in Garfield County. Kristopher Duncan, 25 faces an indeterminate sentence of 4 years to life for sexual assault as a Class 4 felony.
"Why he is in the Pitkin County Jail, that’s a question for someone else to answer. I suspect it’s for security reasons. Police officers are not the friend of other inmates and they can be treated harshly,” said 9th Judicial District Attorney Martin Beeson. Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario, whose agency handled the arrest, did not return phone messages seeking comment.
Jailers in Aspen said Duncan was on a “courtesy hold” but referred questions about the matter to Garfield County. He remained in Pitkin County Jail on a $7,500 bond Monday night. He is charged with class-four felony sexual assault, which carries a possible sentence range of two years to life in prison.
Parachute Town Administrator Robert Knight confirmed Duncan’s arrest and said the officer’s employment was terminated Friday “for violation of code of conduct and this incident (the sexual assault allegation) was related to it.” Knight said that Duncan was hired in February and was an officer in training. He declined to answer further questions.Knight also said that he and other high-level officials in Parachute were unaware that Duncan was being held in Aspen.
Prosecutor Gail Nichols gave only a sketchy detail of the assault, including the fact that the victim was a woman, not a girl, and that the attack took place April 18. More specific details were not forthcoming as of this time, and a heavily redacted arrest affadavit will be available for public inspection.
Duncan will make his next court appearence April 30 in Garfield County District Court. He is ordered to stay away from the victim in case he makes bond.
(Update 5-1-08)
Prosecutors have appointed a special prosecutor to avoid conflicts of interest when prosecuting a former law-enforcement oficer in the same county during yesterday's court appearence. Duncan was released on $7500 bond last week.
The alleged victim and a group of people including Parachute police officer Prince Whiting were at Duncan’s apartment playing video games late at night. Duncan is accused of making repeated unwanted advances and raping the woman after she was trying to sleep around 3 a.m., according to an arrest affidavit. The woman was afraid and didn’t try to fight him off because he was a police officer and a “really strong” ex-Marine, the affidavit says.The affidavit contains no information about statements from Duncan. It says a nurse conducted a rape examination and found no signs of trauma and was unable to determine whether the woman recently had sex.
The Grand River Medical Center reported treating a patient who reported being sexually assaulted by a police officer, and Duncan's preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 4.
(Update 6-5-08)
All charges against Kristopher Duncan have been dropped by the special prosecutor after she concluded that instead of rape, the April 17 incident was simply bad sex.
Tammy Eret, the chief Mesa County deputy district attorney who was brought in to handle the case, said she questions the credibility of the alleged victim. In a motion to dismiss the case, she outlined 22 concerns about the alleged victim’s credibility, and suggested the woman might have had consensual sex with the man, then regretted it.
Magistrate Lain Leoniak on Wednesday agreed to dismiss the case.Duncan hopes to return to law enforcement, and his attorney Greg Greer, of Glenwood Springs, is researching whether the City of Parachute can be sued.“I think the biggest thing was the embarrassment that I would even be accused of something like that, but I knew I didn’t do anything wrong.” The woman said she didn’t fight off Duncan because of his strength and his position as a police officer. She sent a text message to a friend saying she might have been raped, and reported the alleged incident to police. A hospital rape exam showed no sign of trauma.
Eret noted that the “victim” was 5’ 5 and 140 lbs while Duncan was 5’ 6” and 160 pounds, so there wasn’t much size difference.
“I knew it wasn’t true,” said friend Caryn Sigmon, of Rifle, who was at the apartment that night. She said she was “very shocked” when she learned the woman had accused Duncan of rape, and when Garfield County sheriff’s investigators never asked her for her account, she came forward. She accompanied Duncan at the hearing. Eret said that accounts which picture the woman flirting with Duncan and asking him to perform oral sex suggest that no sexual assault occurred.
“Simply saying ‘no,’ but then requesting oral sex” would suggest she consented, Eret wrote. Witnesses told investigators that the two were “flirting with each other, laughing, tickling and having a good time.”
Instead of leaving, they said, the woman went to sleep in Duncan’s bed and never called for help, even though Duncan’s roommate is also a police officer. Afterwards, they said, she slept in the same bed, wore Duncan’s sweatpants and sat in his lap. That would be unusual for a rape victim, Eret noted.“The interaction between the two … supports two people comfortable with each other and the acts that just occurred,” Eret wrote.
In a controlled call between the woman and Duncan, Duncan said the woman claimed to be playing “hard to get,” and that he would have stopped if she said no, but she never did. Eret also said that a rape victim would not have chosen to end up in the bed that the perp was sleeping.
“It would not matter how exhausted one may be — if they were just raped, the last place they would go would be to the bed where the crime occurred and the place where that person was sleeping.”
Credibility problems also occurred when the woman blamed a black guy for the rape even though Duncan was white.
The woman also apparently sent a text message to her boyfriend saying she had been raped by “a black guy,” although Duncan is white. That also cast doubts about her credibility, Eret said. Greer praised Eret’s decision to drop the case. “Our challenge now is just to restore his good reputation,” Greer said.
A Parachute, CO cop is being held in a Pitkin county jail on suspicion of sexual assault even though the incident allegedly occured in Garfield County. Kristopher Duncan, 25 faces an indeterminate sentence of 4 years to life for sexual assault as a Class 4 felony.
"Why he is in the Pitkin County Jail, that’s a question for someone else to answer. I suspect it’s for security reasons. Police officers are not the friend of other inmates and they can be treated harshly,” said 9th Judicial District Attorney Martin Beeson. Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario, whose agency handled the arrest, did not return phone messages seeking comment.
Jailers in Aspen said Duncan was on a “courtesy hold” but referred questions about the matter to Garfield County. He remained in Pitkin County Jail on a $7,500 bond Monday night. He is charged with class-four felony sexual assault, which carries a possible sentence range of two years to life in prison.
Parachute Town Administrator Robert Knight confirmed Duncan’s arrest and said the officer’s employment was terminated Friday “for violation of code of conduct and this incident (the sexual assault allegation) was related to it.” Knight said that Duncan was hired in February and was an officer in training. He declined to answer further questions.Knight also said that he and other high-level officials in Parachute were unaware that Duncan was being held in Aspen.
Prosecutor Gail Nichols gave only a sketchy detail of the assault, including the fact that the victim was a woman, not a girl, and that the attack took place April 18. More specific details were not forthcoming as of this time, and a heavily redacted arrest affadavit will be available for public inspection.
Duncan will make his next court appearence April 30 in Garfield County District Court. He is ordered to stay away from the victim in case he makes bond.
(Update 5-1-08)
Prosecutors have appointed a special prosecutor to avoid conflicts of interest when prosecuting a former law-enforcement oficer in the same county during yesterday's court appearence. Duncan was released on $7500 bond last week.
The alleged victim and a group of people including Parachute police officer Prince Whiting were at Duncan’s apartment playing video games late at night. Duncan is accused of making repeated unwanted advances and raping the woman after she was trying to sleep around 3 a.m., according to an arrest affidavit. The woman was afraid and didn’t try to fight him off because he was a police officer and a “really strong” ex-Marine, the affidavit says.The affidavit contains no information about statements from Duncan. It says a nurse conducted a rape examination and found no signs of trauma and was unable to determine whether the woman recently had sex.
The Grand River Medical Center reported treating a patient who reported being sexually assaulted by a police officer, and Duncan's preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 4.
(Update 6-5-08)
All charges against Kristopher Duncan have been dropped by the special prosecutor after she concluded that instead of rape, the April 17 incident was simply bad sex.
Tammy Eret, the chief Mesa County deputy district attorney who was brought in to handle the case, said she questions the credibility of the alleged victim. In a motion to dismiss the case, she outlined 22 concerns about the alleged victim’s credibility, and suggested the woman might have had consensual sex with the man, then regretted it.
Magistrate Lain Leoniak on Wednesday agreed to dismiss the case.Duncan hopes to return to law enforcement, and his attorney Greg Greer, of Glenwood Springs, is researching whether the City of Parachute can be sued.“I think the biggest thing was the embarrassment that I would even be accused of something like that, but I knew I didn’t do anything wrong.” The woman said she didn’t fight off Duncan because of his strength and his position as a police officer. She sent a text message to a friend saying she might have been raped, and reported the alleged incident to police. A hospital rape exam showed no sign of trauma.
Eret noted that the “victim” was 5’ 5 and 140 lbs while Duncan was 5’ 6” and 160 pounds, so there wasn’t much size difference.
“I knew it wasn’t true,” said friend Caryn Sigmon, of Rifle, who was at the apartment that night. She said she was “very shocked” when she learned the woman had accused Duncan of rape, and when Garfield County sheriff’s investigators never asked her for her account, she came forward. She accompanied Duncan at the hearing. Eret said that accounts which picture the woman flirting with Duncan and asking him to perform oral sex suggest that no sexual assault occurred.
“Simply saying ‘no,’ but then requesting oral sex” would suggest she consented, Eret wrote. Witnesses told investigators that the two were “flirting with each other, laughing, tickling and having a good time.”
Instead of leaving, they said, the woman went to sleep in Duncan’s bed and never called for help, even though Duncan’s roommate is also a police officer. Afterwards, they said, she slept in the same bed, wore Duncan’s sweatpants and sat in his lap. That would be unusual for a rape victim, Eret noted.“The interaction between the two … supports two people comfortable with each other and the acts that just occurred,” Eret wrote.
In a controlled call between the woman and Duncan, Duncan said the woman claimed to be playing “hard to get,” and that he would have stopped if she said no, but she never did. Eret also said that a rape victim would not have chosen to end up in the bed that the perp was sleeping.
“It would not matter how exhausted one may be — if they were just raped, the last place they would go would be to the bed where the crime occurred and the place where that person was sleeping.”
Credibility problems also occurred when the woman blamed a black guy for the rape even though Duncan was white.
The woman also apparently sent a text message to her boyfriend saying she had been raped by “a black guy,” although Duncan is white. That also cast doubts about her credibility, Eret said. Greer praised Eret’s decision to drop the case. “Our challenge now is just to restore his good reputation,” Greer said.
University of Virginia rapist pleads guilty - faces 40 years
Christopher Allen Noakes, 39, a UVa rapist and assaulter of women will spend 40 years in prison due to a plea agreement to 2 counts of forcible sodomy for an attempted rape which occured February 21. Judge Edward L. Hogshire, of the Charlottesville Circuit Court, accepted the plea agreement, and keeps Noakes from spending possibly the rest of his life in prison. Both prosecutors and Noakes’ public defender praised the agreement.
“A 40 year sentence is a very decent amount of time,” Assistant Commonwealth’s attorney Katherine J. Peters said in court.
“It sends a strong message to the community that this will not be tolerated,” added Nicholas Reppucci, assistant public defender.
Noakes was previously convicted of kidnapping a 19 year old student back in the 1980s, and beating a 35 year old UVa employee as she was getting into her car. This happened 3 days after release from a juvenile facility in Richmond where he had been place for attempted rape.
The last incident occurred February 21, when a sophomore UVa student was talking to a friend on a cell phone. Noakes walked up behind her, held a knife to her throat, and demanded money. The woman’s friend, on the other end of the phone, called 911 to describe what was happening. Noakes ordered to woman to strip and attempted to rape her, but the attack caught a neighbor’s attention, and the victim was able to get that neighbor to call 911.
“She felt the person was bound to call 911 and assist her,” Peters said.
Police arrived to find Noakes on top of the woman, but he jumped up and ran until officers arrested him in the 500 block of 14th Street Northwest. The victim was taken to the UVa Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries.
The plea deal calls for a 40 year prison sentence and dropping charges of abduction with the intent to defile, intent to rape, and robbery. The judge has the discretion to order an additional suspended term consecutive to the prison sentence when formal sentencing occurs on August 21. Reppucci said that there were multiple reasons why Noakes decided to plead guilty, including “start[ing] the healing process for the victim.” He is curreltly being held at the Albermarle-Charlottsville regional jail.
“A 40 year sentence is a very decent amount of time,” Assistant Commonwealth’s attorney Katherine J. Peters said in court.
“It sends a strong message to the community that this will not be tolerated,” added Nicholas Reppucci, assistant public defender.
Noakes was previously convicted of kidnapping a 19 year old student back in the 1980s, and beating a 35 year old UVa employee as she was getting into her car. This happened 3 days after release from a juvenile facility in Richmond where he had been place for attempted rape.
The last incident occurred February 21, when a sophomore UVa student was talking to a friend on a cell phone. Noakes walked up behind her, held a knife to her throat, and demanded money. The woman’s friend, on the other end of the phone, called 911 to describe what was happening. Noakes ordered to woman to strip and attempted to rape her, but the attack caught a neighbor’s attention, and the victim was able to get that neighbor to call 911.
“She felt the person was bound to call 911 and assist her,” Peters said.
Police arrived to find Noakes on top of the woman, but he jumped up and ran until officers arrested him in the 500 block of 14th Street Northwest. The victim was taken to the UVa Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries.
The plea deal calls for a 40 year prison sentence and dropping charges of abduction with the intent to defile, intent to rape, and robbery. The judge has the discretion to order an additional suspended term consecutive to the prison sentence when formal sentencing occurs on August 21. Reppucci said that there were multiple reasons why Noakes decided to plead guilty, including “start[ing] the healing process for the victim.” He is curreltly being held at the Albermarle-Charlottsville regional jail.
Man pleads guilty to West Virginia rape-slaying
Fred Dwane Douty II, 29, plead guilty to the rape and murder of a Martinsburg, WV woman whose body was found in a remote area in northeastern Berkley County in spring 2007. He was with co-defendant Anthony Charles Juntilla of Hedgeville, WV when they took a woman, later identified as Tina Marie Starcher back to Juntilla’s house. Douty, of Martinsburg, said both suspects rape her, then Juntilla carried Starcher upstairs to a bathtub and stabbed her to death. They then hid the body in a remote area in a blue tub and tried to eliminate DNA evidence by putting cleaning fluid on it.
Conviction in case of man who persuaded woman to drink lye for sexual gratification
Sean Kobin, 22, is a convicted sex offender from Mequon, WI who is finally on trial for nearly fatally injuring a Grafton, WI woman November 8, 2005, by inducing her to drink industrial strength lye taken from a CD factory he was working in. Kobin initially pleaded guilty in September 2006, but rescinded his guilty plea in August of 2007. The woman, who is lucky to be alive following the industrial strength lye burns to her digestive system, was only weaned off her feeding tube last year, and still has been unable to work since the incident.
Kobin, from the Milwaukee suburb of Mequon, allegedly asked the woman, who then worked at an adult bookstore on the far northwest side of Milwaukee, to drink a liquid for $20 so he can videotape it. He also allegedly offered to get her daughter’s Ipod fixed for her drinking the liquid. Unknown to the woman, that liquid was industrial strength lye, taken from his workplace at a CD factory. Kobin is an emetophiliac, one who is sexually aroused by women vomiting, and faces charges in other cases where he has persuaded women to drink bleach or other emetics for his arousal throughout Milwaukee’s northern suburbs.
What followed in November [8], 2005 was a fit of violent, bloody vomiting and other effects so debilitating that homicide detectives were called in.
The first police officer on the scene, Thomas Balistreri of the Milwaukee Police Department, testified that he had never seen anyone so violently ill in his 16-year career. The woman, he said, was on the ground vomiting blood, yet he couldn't recall Kobin asking any questions about her condition. Instead, Kobin was urging police to watch his videotape of the event, the officer said.
Prosecutors said that Kobin willingly induced the woman to drink the lye for his sexual pleasure, and that he knew how dangerous the compound was.
"It is only by virtue of a miracle or chance or incredibly good medical treatment that (the woman) is alive," prosecutor Holly Bunch told jurors.
Kobin, she said, knew how dangerous the compound was from his training at a plant where compact disks were made. Workers there, Bunch said, were required to wear thick gloves anytime they handled the substance, yet Kobin goaded the cash-strapped woman into "some sort of bizarre agreement" to consume it.
"Any person in Mr. Kobin's place would have known that giving any amount of this substance to a human being could be fatal," Bunch said.
Kobin's attorney said in court that his client joked about stunt like the ones featured on MTV’s Jackass for months before the woman decided to take him up on the dare.
"She raises the thing of, 'Well, why don't we do this? I'll do it for $20,' "defense attorney Joseph R. Reback said in his opening statement." She takes him up on it. The rest is tragic."
"He was only (saying) that the video would show that he didn't do anything wrong," Balistreri testified.
A screen is set up in the courtroom in case attorneys decide to show the videotape. The trial is expected to take at least three days.
She was in a coma while doctors stabilized her from the effects of the lye. Surgeries and skin grafts were needed to close the holes the caustic liquid left in her body.
The woman, 33 at the time, lived, but has had to endure months of intense medical treatment because of the caustic effects of sodium hydroxide on her digestive system.
The victim only was able to stop relying on a feeding tube for her nutrition last year, after over a year. She still undergoes a procedure where her scarred esophagus and stomach is opened by forcing a tube down it every few weeks at a suburban Milwaukee hospital.
The Grafton woman who police initially thought was going to die says she has spent much of that time on feeding tubes inserted through her abdomen. She's eating now. But the problem, along with severe heartburn and acid reflux, is her esophagus won't stay open.
The doctors tried stents, but there was too much bleeding and throwing up. Now they just do esophagogastroduodenoscopies.
Yes, they're as nasty as they sound. An EGD is a little procedure wherein you are forced to fast and given something to diminish gagging. Then, while you try to remain still, somebody shoves a tube all the way down your throat into your stomach as part of an effort to stretch the esophagus.
This has been done to her, she noted in one of a series of e-mails we've exchanged, some 50 times.
She's spent so much time at Froedtert that the people there she calls her "heroes" have become like a "second family."
In the meantime, the thing is, she has a family of her own, and is unable to return to work. She and her two kids, she noted, are now living on less than $700 a month.
The victim has also filed a lawsuit against Kobin.
(Update 2-12-08)
The tape where Kobin is shown persuading the victim, Chrystal Kolinski, to drink the industrial lye was shown yesterday in Milwaukee County Circuit Judge William Sosnay's court. Testimony centered around how they met, and how Kobin wanted the woman to take "a shot."
"He basically told me he liked recording the look on people's faces," she said.
The day she finally acceded, she had run dry of luck.
An eviction notice had arrived, and her children didn't have a decent couch to sit on because the one she bought for $20 didn't fit through her door. As she explained it, she reasoned that she could drink Kobin's shot and shut him up and pocket some badly needed cash as well. He never said she could be injured, she said.
"As bad as it seems now, I was getting him to see that he could trust me," she said, "and I wasn't going to be out my $20 any more."
After she watched the videotape of the morning she took the drink from Kobin, Kolinsky's chin fell toward her chest and her shoulders heaved. The tape had been stopped moments before she drank the poison, collapsed to the ground and began vomiting blood.
Jurors were shown the part where Chrystal Kolinski went to the ground in pain, and Kolinski and her doctor testified.
"I thought having children was bad," said Kolinski, 35. "I had one without anesthetic before, and I thought if I could handle that, I could handle any level of pain. But that day was unlike anything I had ever experienced."
She suffered massive injuries to her throat and stomach from the drink and was unable to take solid food for months. A doctor testified that she will likely remain 1,000 times more likely than the average person to get stomach cancer.
(Update 2-14-08)
Kobin testified that though dropping the sodium hydroxide (lye) pellets into a bottle of water made the water burn, he had no problem giving it to his former friend. Kobin also said that the friendship was pursued as a potential romance, but he then gave Kolinski's boyfriend a literal wake-up call so he wouldn't be late for work. Kobin described taking the drink as a test of character and said it tasted salt like.
Milwaukee police Detective David Salazar testified Wednesday that Kobin had described himself during questioning as a sadist with an oral fixation. Kobin faces prosecution in connection with similar reported offenses in Ozaukee and Washington counties, and he is a registered sex offender from a 2004 Waukesha County case in which he persuaded a 13-year-old girl to drink bleach, lighter fluid and urine.
Kobin countered Wednesday that he had used the words sodium hydroxide at least once in her presence, perhaps jokingly, and had said she might get mild digestive discomfort. He said he handled the chemical at work and suffered no major discomfort.
"I was intending to figure out a way to abuse it," Kobin said.
(Update 2-16-08)
Kobin was convicted of 1st degree reckless endangerment for the incident which caused Chrystal Kolinski to nearly die and to continue to undergo treatments. He faces 25 years in prison when he is sentenced February 28th.
(Update 2-29-08)
Kobin was sentenced to 10 years of prison and 10 years extended supervision for the lye incident.
(Update 6-5-08) Kobin was sentenced to an additional 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting and persuading a 15 year old girl to drink blach for his sexual arousal. The 15 year sentence will run consecutive to the sentence in the Kolinski case.
Kobin, from the Milwaukee suburb of Mequon, allegedly asked the woman, who then worked at an adult bookstore on the far northwest side of Milwaukee, to drink a liquid for $20 so he can videotape it. He also allegedly offered to get her daughter’s Ipod fixed for her drinking the liquid. Unknown to the woman, that liquid was industrial strength lye, taken from his workplace at a CD factory. Kobin is an emetophiliac, one who is sexually aroused by women vomiting, and faces charges in other cases where he has persuaded women to drink bleach or other emetics for his arousal throughout Milwaukee’s northern suburbs.
What followed in November [8], 2005 was a fit of violent, bloody vomiting and other effects so debilitating that homicide detectives were called in.
The first police officer on the scene, Thomas Balistreri of the Milwaukee Police Department, testified that he had never seen anyone so violently ill in his 16-year career. The woman, he said, was on the ground vomiting blood, yet he couldn't recall Kobin asking any questions about her condition. Instead, Kobin was urging police to watch his videotape of the event, the officer said.
Prosecutors said that Kobin willingly induced the woman to drink the lye for his sexual pleasure, and that he knew how dangerous the compound was.
"It is only by virtue of a miracle or chance or incredibly good medical treatment that (the woman) is alive," prosecutor Holly Bunch told jurors.
Kobin, she said, knew how dangerous the compound was from his training at a plant where compact disks were made. Workers there, Bunch said, were required to wear thick gloves anytime they handled the substance, yet Kobin goaded the cash-strapped woman into "some sort of bizarre agreement" to consume it.
"Any person in Mr. Kobin's place would have known that giving any amount of this substance to a human being could be fatal," Bunch said.
Kobin's attorney said in court that his client joked about stunt like the ones featured on MTV’s Jackass for months before the woman decided to take him up on the dare.
"She raises the thing of, 'Well, why don't we do this? I'll do it for $20,' "defense attorney Joseph R. Reback said in his opening statement." She takes him up on it. The rest is tragic."
"He was only (saying) that the video would show that he didn't do anything wrong," Balistreri testified.
A screen is set up in the courtroom in case attorneys decide to show the videotape. The trial is expected to take at least three days.
She was in a coma while doctors stabilized her from the effects of the lye. Surgeries and skin grafts were needed to close the holes the caustic liquid left in her body.
The woman, 33 at the time, lived, but has had to endure months of intense medical treatment because of the caustic effects of sodium hydroxide on her digestive system.
The victim only was able to stop relying on a feeding tube for her nutrition last year, after over a year. She still undergoes a procedure where her scarred esophagus and stomach is opened by forcing a tube down it every few weeks at a suburban Milwaukee hospital.
The Grafton woman who police initially thought was going to die says she has spent much of that time on feeding tubes inserted through her abdomen. She's eating now. But the problem, along with severe heartburn and acid reflux, is her esophagus won't stay open.
The doctors tried stents, but there was too much bleeding and throwing up. Now they just do esophagogastroduodenoscopies.
Yes, they're as nasty as they sound. An EGD is a little procedure wherein you are forced to fast and given something to diminish gagging. Then, while you try to remain still, somebody shoves a tube all the way down your throat into your stomach as part of an effort to stretch the esophagus.
This has been done to her, she noted in one of a series of e-mails we've exchanged, some 50 times.
She's spent so much time at Froedtert that the people there she calls her "heroes" have become like a "second family."
In the meantime, the thing is, she has a family of her own, and is unable to return to work. She and her two kids, she noted, are now living on less than $700 a month.
The victim has also filed a lawsuit against Kobin.
(Update 2-12-08)
The tape where Kobin is shown persuading the victim, Chrystal Kolinski, to drink the industrial lye was shown yesterday in Milwaukee County Circuit Judge William Sosnay's court. Testimony centered around how they met, and how Kobin wanted the woman to take "a shot."
"He basically told me he liked recording the look on people's faces," she said.
The day she finally acceded, she had run dry of luck.
An eviction notice had arrived, and her children didn't have a decent couch to sit on because the one she bought for $20 didn't fit through her door. As she explained it, she reasoned that she could drink Kobin's shot and shut him up and pocket some badly needed cash as well. He never said she could be injured, she said.
"As bad as it seems now, I was getting him to see that he could trust me," she said, "and I wasn't going to be out my $20 any more."
After she watched the videotape of the morning she took the drink from Kobin, Kolinsky's chin fell toward her chest and her shoulders heaved. The tape had been stopped moments before she drank the poison, collapsed to the ground and began vomiting blood.
Jurors were shown the part where Chrystal Kolinski went to the ground in pain, and Kolinski and her doctor testified.
"I thought having children was bad," said Kolinski, 35. "I had one without anesthetic before, and I thought if I could handle that, I could handle any level of pain. But that day was unlike anything I had ever experienced."
She suffered massive injuries to her throat and stomach from the drink and was unable to take solid food for months. A doctor testified that she will likely remain 1,000 times more likely than the average person to get stomach cancer.
(Update 2-14-08)
Kobin testified that though dropping the sodium hydroxide (lye) pellets into a bottle of water made the water burn, he had no problem giving it to his former friend. Kobin also said that the friendship was pursued as a potential romance, but he then gave Kolinski's boyfriend a literal wake-up call so he wouldn't be late for work. Kobin described taking the drink as a test of character and said it tasted salt like.
Milwaukee police Detective David Salazar testified Wednesday that Kobin had described himself during questioning as a sadist with an oral fixation. Kobin faces prosecution in connection with similar reported offenses in Ozaukee and Washington counties, and he is a registered sex offender from a 2004 Waukesha County case in which he persuaded a 13-year-old girl to drink bleach, lighter fluid and urine.
Kobin countered Wednesday that he had used the words sodium hydroxide at least once in her presence, perhaps jokingly, and had said she might get mild digestive discomfort. He said he handled the chemical at work and suffered no major discomfort.
"I was intending to figure out a way to abuse it," Kobin said.
(Update 2-16-08)
Kobin was convicted of 1st degree reckless endangerment for the incident which caused Chrystal Kolinski to nearly die and to continue to undergo treatments. He faces 25 years in prison when he is sentenced February 28th.
(Update 2-29-08)
Kobin was sentenced to 10 years of prison and 10 years extended supervision for the lye incident.
(Update 6-5-08) Kobin was sentenced to an additional 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting and persuading a 15 year old girl to drink blach for his sexual arousal. The 15 year sentence will run consecutive to the sentence in the Kolinski case.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
U of Minn student writes about rape for her school newspaper
A rape victim's advocate at the University of Minnesota, where there have been two high profile rapes in the past few months, has written a letter to the editor of the Minnesota Daily, stating that the high (20 to 25%) incidents of rape means that acquaintances should be the ones to watch out for. She also takes on the role that rape myths about stranger vs. acquaintance victimization and the victim blaiming that takes place.
Sexual assault thoughts
The past month or two of my life as a sexual assault advocate have been fairly routine. I've seen about the same number of clients, and I've wished about as hard as I usually do for more to come in and speak up. The only difference between now and, say, six months ago, is that "rape" has suddenly become a topic of serious discussion, something that makes eyes widen instead of roll.
Suddenly we're talking about needing more security because "more rapes occurred on campus last month than in all of 2007." Despite knowing quite well the rarity of stranger assault, even I find myself walking a little faster and looking over my shoulder a little more frequently lately.
The sad truth is that there weren't more rapes occurring this year, there were just more that got your attention.
According to the National Institute of Justice, one in four or five women will be sexually assaulted during college. That means, of your four or five closest female friends, one will be raped. Do you know someone who was attacked by a shadowy figure who jumped out from the bushes? Maybe not. But unless you know less than four women in college, it's a statistical certainty that you know more than a few victims of rape. If you want to dismiss the numbers as some sort of "feminist agenda," take it from someone who hears the stories firsthand from the people who lived them, whose lives were destroyed by them.
I hear a lot of people say that rape isn't a problem on this campus (remember those rolling eyes?), aside from the recent burst of incidents on and off campus. That's because rape is happening behind closed doors, among acquaintances, where one person uses guilt, social pressure, or intoxicated opportunities to take advantage of another. The victim is then left to fight an uphill battle against someone she or he likely cares about, the opinions and rude comments of mutual friends, and a society whose first questions are why she was in his room in the first place or what she was expecting by drinking. No wonder rape is underreported.
And what do these kinds of situations mean for life in general? If you're a woman, you better not have the audacity to walk down the street, wear a short skirt or drink at a party. After all, if you get attacked, it was your own fault for putting yourself in that position in the first place, right? If you're a man, women are going to look twice at you and wonder if you'll really listen if they say, "I'm not sure about this," or just pretend you didn't hear.
It's scary to think that someone might knock down your door, put a knife to your throat and rape you. But preventing these sorts of nightmares starts at standing up and speaking before they happen, by refusing to condone the disrespect, double standards, and victim-blaming in our society that fosters rape in the first place.
Jackie Heard
University student
Sexual assault thoughts
The past month or two of my life as a sexual assault advocate have been fairly routine. I've seen about the same number of clients, and I've wished about as hard as I usually do for more to come in and speak up. The only difference between now and, say, six months ago, is that "rape" has suddenly become a topic of serious discussion, something that makes eyes widen instead of roll.
Suddenly we're talking about needing more security because "more rapes occurred on campus last month than in all of 2007." Despite knowing quite well the rarity of stranger assault, even I find myself walking a little faster and looking over my shoulder a little more frequently lately.
The sad truth is that there weren't more rapes occurring this year, there were just more that got your attention.
According to the National Institute of Justice, one in four or five women will be sexually assaulted during college. That means, of your four or five closest female friends, one will be raped. Do you know someone who was attacked by a shadowy figure who jumped out from the bushes? Maybe not. But unless you know less than four women in college, it's a statistical certainty that you know more than a few victims of rape. If you want to dismiss the numbers as some sort of "feminist agenda," take it from someone who hears the stories firsthand from the people who lived them, whose lives were destroyed by them.
I hear a lot of people say that rape isn't a problem on this campus (remember those rolling eyes?), aside from the recent burst of incidents on and off campus. That's because rape is happening behind closed doors, among acquaintances, where one person uses guilt, social pressure, or intoxicated opportunities to take advantage of another. The victim is then left to fight an uphill battle against someone she or he likely cares about, the opinions and rude comments of mutual friends, and a society whose first questions are why she was in his room in the first place or what she was expecting by drinking. No wonder rape is underreported.
And what do these kinds of situations mean for life in general? If you're a woman, you better not have the audacity to walk down the street, wear a short skirt or drink at a party. After all, if you get attacked, it was your own fault for putting yourself in that position in the first place, right? If you're a man, women are going to look twice at you and wonder if you'll really listen if they say, "I'm not sure about this," or just pretend you didn't hear.
It's scary to think that someone might knock down your door, put a knife to your throat and rape you. But preventing these sorts of nightmares starts at standing up and speaking before they happen, by refusing to condone the disrespect, double standards, and victim-blaming in our society that fosters rape in the first place.
Jackie Heard
University student
Toronto metro area man allegedly tries to electrocute wife
Curtis Rush STAFF REPORTER, The Toronto Star
A 60-year-old Oshawa man who works as an electrician is facing numerous charges after allegedly trying to electrocute his wife and then leading police on a high-speed chase in his car.
Police say that the victim was taking a shower Sunday morning when she received several electric shocks while adjusting the taps. When she called her husband into the bathroom, he told her it was a build-up of static electricity.
Later that evening, at about 11 p.m., the victim discovered a section of drywall missing and electrical wires attached to the plumbing in the bathroom, police say.Sgt. Paul McCurbin of Durham Police said the woman found the drywall missing in the master bedroom, which adjoins the bathroom. An extension cord with open wires ran to the plumbing. Police did not lay attempted murder charges because while they determined it was dangerous, the woman would not have died from the incident.
When she confronted her husband early at about 12:15 a.m. Monday, he attacked her and choked her almost to unconsciousness, police say. The man then left the house and drove off. His wife called police.
Officers found the man’s Grand Am heading east on Highway 2 near Regional Road 57 and followed it. The car turned on to Highway 401, followed by police, who turned on their their lights and sirens. Instead of stopping, the driver accelerated with the police in pursuit. They called off the chase when the car reached speeds in excess of 170 km/h, police say.
Not long after, the car was spotted by Port Hope police in the town and the man was arrested.
The man has been charged with mischief endangering life, aggravated assault, two counts of assault causing bodily harm and failing to stop for police.
A 60-year-old Oshawa man who works as an electrician is facing numerous charges after allegedly trying to electrocute his wife and then leading police on a high-speed chase in his car.
Police say that the victim was taking a shower Sunday morning when she received several electric shocks while adjusting the taps. When she called her husband into the bathroom, he told her it was a build-up of static electricity.
Later that evening, at about 11 p.m., the victim discovered a section of drywall missing and electrical wires attached to the plumbing in the bathroom, police say.Sgt. Paul McCurbin of Durham Police said the woman found the drywall missing in the master bedroom, which adjoins the bathroom. An extension cord with open wires ran to the plumbing. Police did not lay attempted murder charges because while they determined it was dangerous, the woman would not have died from the incident.
When she confronted her husband early at about 12:15 a.m. Monday, he attacked her and choked her almost to unconsciousness, police say. The man then left the house and drove off. His wife called police.
Officers found the man’s Grand Am heading east on Highway 2 near Regional Road 57 and followed it. The car turned on to Highway 401, followed by police, who turned on their their lights and sirens. Instead of stopping, the driver accelerated with the police in pursuit. They called off the chase when the car reached speeds in excess of 170 km/h, police say.
Not long after, the car was spotted by Port Hope police in the town and the man was arrested.
The man has been charged with mischief endangering life, aggravated assault, two counts of assault causing bodily harm and failing to stop for police.
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