Thursday, October 12, 2006
Duke Lacrosse Debacle Details
I've decided not to call it a rape any more. It appears that 60 Minutes is coming on board with a hard look and an Ed Bradley interview of the second dancer, Nikki, aka Kim Roberts. She disputes the accuser's account of the beginning of the rape. Has anything good happened to the prosecution's case in this matter?
Money quote:
"In the police statement, [accuser] describes the rape in this way: 'Three guys grabbed Nikki,' 'That's you,'" says Bradley, "'Brett, Adam and Matt grabbed me. They separated us at the master bedroom door while we tried to hold on to each other. Bret, Adam and Matt took me into the bathroom.' Were you holding on to each other? Were you pulled apart?"
"Nope," replies Roberts, who says she was hearing this account for the first time.
Roberts also denies the accuser's statement to the police that after the alleged rape, Roberts came into the bathroom and helped one of the rapists dress her.
When pressed by Bradley about whether she saw signs of rape from the accuser, such as complaining about pain or a mention of an assault, Roberts says, "She obviously wasn't hurt ... because she was fine."
Every false accusation of rape that fools a prosecutor, but not a jury, hurts real rape victims all across the nation. Every showboating prosecutor, whose ego prevents him from dismissing a case that has almost completely fallen apart on him, hurts the people's trust in the justice system by failing to do the required, right thing.
Money quote:
"In the police statement, [accuser] describes the rape in this way: 'Three guys grabbed Nikki,' 'That's you,'" says Bradley, "'Brett, Adam and Matt grabbed me. They separated us at the master bedroom door while we tried to hold on to each other. Bret, Adam and Matt took me into the bathroom.' Were you holding on to each other? Were you pulled apart?"
"Nope," replies Roberts, who says she was hearing this account for the first time.
Roberts also denies the accuser's statement to the police that after the alleged rape, Roberts came into the bathroom and helped one of the rapists dress her.
When pressed by Bradley about whether she saw signs of rape from the accuser, such as complaining about pain or a mention of an assault, Roberts says, "She obviously wasn't hurt ... because she was fine."
Every false accusation of rape that fools a prosecutor, but not a jury, hurts real rape victims all across the nation. Every showboating prosecutor, whose ego prevents him from dismissing a case that has almost completely fallen apart on him, hurts the people's trust in the justice system by failing to do the required, right thing.
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 10:18 PM 
