Lawmaker blames 11 yr. old rape victim

[ugonow]

for being gang raped----Republican lawmaker blames 11-year-old victim of alleged gang rape

By David Edwards
Wednesday, March 16th, 2011 -- 4:19 pm
Elected officials should know better than to blame the victim of a sex crime.

While it's a common tactic of abusers, it's something no one expected of Republican Florida state Rep. Kathleen Passidomo.

During debate over a bill that would legislate a dress code for Florida students, Passidomo blamed the alleged gang raping of an 11-year-old in Cleveland, Texas on the way the young girl was dressed.

"There was an article about an 11 year old girl who was gangraped in Texas by 18 young men because she was dressed like a 21-year-old prostitute," Passidomo declared.

"And her parents let her attend school like that. And I think it’s incumbent upon us to create some areas where students can be safe in school and show up in proper attire so what happened in Texas doesn’t happen to our students," she added.

Broward/Palm Beach New Times' Brandon Thorp was shocked.

"Whoa!" he wrote. "As a genus, politicians aren't the brightest wicks in the candelabra, but they usually possess sufficient self-awareness to shield the public from the horrorshows of their minds. Blaming the rape of an 11-year-old girl on her parents' sense of fashion -- and to do so out loud -- smacks of rank amateurism."

At a civc meeting in Cleveland following the crime, local residents there had also placed blame on the girl.

"Many who attended the meeting said they supported the group of men and boys who have been charged in the case," The Associated Press reported. "Supporters didn't claim that the men and boys did not have sex with the young girl; instead they blamed the girl for the way she dressed or claimed she must have lied about her age — accusations that have drawn strong responses from those who note an 11-year-old cannot consent to sex and that it doesn't matter how she was dressed www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/16/republican-lawmaker-blames-11-year-old-victim-of-alleged-gang-rape/

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Yep. That's indefensible.

[ugonow]

On the other hand, as representive Franklin claims,there is no rape victime unless there is a rape conviction.....

[Deleted]

Wow. Her career is pretty much over.

[ugonow]

Now now,show some compassion for these boys. She is not a rape victim yet----WASHINGTON -- A Republican state legislator in Georgia doesn't like the term rape "victim." In fact, he has introduced a bill mandating that state criminal codes refer to these people as, simply, "accusers" -- until there's a conviction in the matter.

The legislation introduced by state Rep. Bobby Franklin (R-Marietta) would cover a number of crimes including rape, stalking and domestic violence:

To amend Titles 16 and 17 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to criminal law and criminal procedure, respectively, so as to change the term "victim" to the term "accuser" in the context of a number of statutes making reference to circumstances where there has not yet been a criminal conviction; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

[Deleted]

Rape is rape. If she says no, then it's rape.

I will admit that some young ladies I've seen do look older than (I'm guessing) their actual age. That might have a factor in statutory rape (where the guy thinks she is older than she is) but matter what, if the girl says no then it's rape.

[workpublic]

This message has been deleted.

[workpublic]

something's gotta change in society.

stuff like this isn't helping.

where do the boys and girls learn what's right and wrong?


tosh.comedycentral.com/video-clips/20-seconds-on-the-clock---kids-grinding

[floridayankee]

Mar 17, 2011 8:11:22 GMT -5 ugonow said:

Now now,show some compassion for these boys. She is not a rape victim yet

Are we having trouble distinguishing between "introducing a bill" and "enforceable law" today?

Of course even if it passes in GA, it would have no effect on a rape that happened in TX but you keep on trying to ramp up the drama if you wish.

[workpublic]

check out the vid snerdly. disturbing to say the least.

[floridayankee]

Mar 17, 2011 8:22:36 GMT -5 Lady Gaga Gaga Snerd said:

And, are there not instances where men are accused of rape who are then found not be rapists but have had such a label on them? I thought most Americans still supported the presumption of innocence.

Sure there are. But at times, a rapist is not immediately, if ever, known. So IMHO, labeling a rape victim as such is just that...a label. It has nothing to do with calling the accused as a "rapist" or a presumption of guilt. You're arguing a totally separate issue.

[floridayankee]

Mar 17, 2011 9:03:39 GMT -5 Lady Gaga Gaga Snerd said:

OK. Good point. And, I agree, that one who is a victim is a victim and that should be said.

Agreed. An crime victim is still a victim whether there is a conviction or not.

My question for the GA legislator: If an open and shut case (aka caught in the act) is blown because someone screwed up (didn't read their rights, mishandled evidence, whatever) along away and the attacker gets off on a technicality, would that mean the victim is still not a victim since there was not a conviction?

IMHO, that's like saying Rep. Gabby Gifford is not a shooting victim because Laughner has not been convicted. And, I guess if he's not guilty by reason of insanity she would never be a victim.

This GA bill is F'ing idiotic at best.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

It's yet another reason (the GA bill) that we need to get government OUT of the business of education. I don't want conservatives and liberals battling for the ideological advantage in schools. This illustrates so well the need for an arms-length relationship between government and education-- even if we continue to publicly fund education.

[Deleted]

Mar 17, 2011 11:48:41 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

It's yet another reason (the GA bill) that we need to get government OUT of the business of education.

so what's the alternative? Having only private schools available which charge tuition? Then only the "haves" go to school? Yes, that's a much better situation.

Yes, the public school system needs improvement, without a doubt. Maybe a solution would be to have one over-arching NGO that is charged with educational standards in the US.

[ty]

There was an article about an 11 year old girl who was gangraped in Texas by 18 young men because she was dressed up like a 21-year-old prostitute. And her parents let her attend school like that. And I think it’s incumbent upon us to create some areas where students can be safe in school and show up in proper attire so what happened in Texas doesn’t happen to our students

This is such a horrific story on what happened to this little girl, and then to have a female FL GOP Rep. Say the 11-Year-Old Was Gang Raped "Because She Was Dressed Like A 21 Year-Old Prostitute" is just sickening.
What the hell is wrong with our world when you have grown adults blaming kids for getting raped instead of protecting them?

[Tennesseer]

Mar 17, 2011 18:05:35 GMT -5 Lady Gaga Gaga Snerd said:

What is the bill in its entirety and what was the impetus for it?

www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display.aspx?Legislation=31978

And his latest one:

www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display.aspx?Legislation=31965

[henryclay]

Since mention of rape i general has been broached, and without getting into the Texas 11 year old girl's case, it might be worthwhile to see what can happen to innocent people who find themselves charged with rape. One particular noteworthy case goes back to 1921 and involved a movie actor comedian named Fatty Arbuckle. As bad as the charge of rape was, (and the girl died three days later), the public's treatment of the accused rapist was possibly worse. To understand the way things can snowball to the point of losing sight of what set it all in motion it is necessary to stand back and look at the entire stage.

history1900s.about.com/od/famouscrimesscandals/a/fattyarbuckle.htm?p=1

[steff]

"There was an article about an 11 year old girl who was gangraped in Texas by 18 young men because she was dressed like a 21-year-old prostitute," Passidomo declared.


****************************************

this is why women don't report being raped.....

[marjar]

Mar 17, 2011 19:13:21 GMT -5 henryclay said:

Since mention of rape i general has been broached, and without getting into the Texas 11 year old girl's case, it might be worthwhile to see what can happen to innocent people who find themselves charged with rape. One particular noteworthy case goes back to 1921 and involved a movie actor comedian named Fatty Arbuckle. As bad as the charge of rape was, (and the girl died three days later), the public's treatment of the accused rapist was possibly worse. To understand the way things can snowball to the point of losing sight of what set it all in motion it is necessary to stand back and look at the entire stage.

history1900s.about.com/od/famouscrimesscandals/a/fattyarbuckle.htm?p=1

Back then, we didn't have DNA evidence to prove or disprove a case. Not saying that false accusations aren't made, but scientific advancements have helped demonstrate guilt or innocence in many cases.

[marjar]

Mar 17, 2011 19:36:45 GMT -5 @toughtimes said:

And it is possible to have DNA evidence without it being rape either. Not of course in the case of an 11 year old who cannot give consent, but there are some vindictive women who take revenge in particularly twisted ways too.

This is true. There are, however, those cases when it is apparent that a woman was raped.

[straydog]

"There was an article about an 11 year old girl who was gangraped in Texas by 18 young men because she was dressed like a 21-year-old prostitute," Passidomo declared.

"And her parents let her attend school like that. And I think it’s incumbent upon us to create some areas where students can be safe in school and show up in proper attire so what happened in Texas doesn’t happen to our students," she added.

It seems to me that Passidomo was blaming the parents-not the 11 year old girl.

[straydog]

PBP:
It's yet another reason (the GA bill) that we need to get government OUT of the business of education. [/quote]

MJ82:
so what's the alternative? Having only private schools available which charge tuition? Then only the "haves" go to school? Yes, that's a much better situation.

SD: If towns or counties start taking the bull by the horns and opt out of the public school system, then property taxes should go down significantly, thus allowing the home owners to afford the tuition. operating costs will also go down. As far as apartment dwellers with kids go, if the landlords property taxes go down, then the rents should also go down. If you have a landlord who doesn't adjust his rent according to the free market; then people will start to move out and go rent to where the rents are in line, thus giving them more money to pay tuition.

Private charities would also play a big role in helping those who cannot afford the tuition. Plus, the government subsidizes daycare costs for those who cannot afford it, they would probably subsidize this also. I usually don't like government subsidies, but, if the government is going to subsidize something, I would rather they subsidize an apartment dwellers kids in a good performing private school (where the DOE has less influence in) , than the current failing system.

MJ82:
Yes, the public school system needs improvement, without a doubt. Maybe a solution would be to have one over-arching NGO that is charged with educational standards in the US.[/quote]

SD: I honestly believe that doing that would just lead to more corruption and another 'monopoly' like we have now. I think it would be better to have alot of separate, private school companies competing with each other (with a few standard state oversights), and then we can see what works and what does not in the free market.

[floridayankee]

Mar 17, 2011 17:42:58 GMT -5 @ty said:

This is such a horrific story on what happened to this little girl, and then to have a female FL GOP Rep. Say the 11-Year-Old Was Gang Raped "Because She Was Dressed Like A 21 Year-Old Prostitute" is just sickening.

I agree. You need to remember...FL is not exactly known for it's stellar political gene pool.

[floridayankee]

Mar 18, 2011 6:17:35 GMT -5 @toughtimes said:

No, if you are reporting a crime you are the "alleged victim" or plaintiff, especially in a court. No one bestows victimhood until the case has been proven. I have been accused of many outrageous, untrue things in my life, and I would hardly want someone to begin the investigation by granting the truth of the claim.

So Gabby Gifford is just an alleged shooting victim and she may not have been shot at all? That little 9/11 girl Christina Greene isn't a murder victim? If Loony-Tunes Laughner is found not guilty for any reason then nobody is a victim?

Sorry tough. Lack of an arrest or conviction doesn't make anyone less of a victim of crime....IMHO of course.

[busymom]

Having done medical charts in the past, I have recorded rape charts. In a rape, there is more evidence than just the DNA of the attacker. Usually the woman has physical damage internally. Not nice to think about, I know. I feel very badly for that 11-year-old.

[Deleted]

It is up to the court and justice system to bring criminal charges.... sometimes there is a person who files a complaint, and sometimes there is no specific 'accuser'... In a criminal case, the plaintiff is the state... or fed.... the person doing the accusing then, is the state or fed... the victim is a witness...