It seems that the law schools of our nation have failed to prepare people to serve in our justice system. The justice system exists to serve people who suffer because of unjust, unlawful treatment. It does not exist to merely provide jobs for law school graduates. When the lawyers and judges fail to provide justice for the violated, they have failed their mission.
One of these colossal failures happened this week in McAlester, OK. A 64 year old man who was charged with 1st degree rape and forcible sodomy of a five year old girl, was given a ONE YEAR sentence by the judge. Because this little girl was afraid to testify in the courtroom with the creep who violated her present, the judge and prosecutor apparently did not feel they could get a conviction. And in America today, they might not! So, they accepted a plea deal offered by the defendant’s lawyer. The pervert would plead guilty to the charges if only required to serve one year of time.
I wonder how many combined years of law school the prosecutor, defense lawyer and judge have. Surely it would be enough education in law and justice to realize that the ONE who was served in this deal was the perpetrator. I think all three of them should be immediately unemployed. I’d like to see them all on a street corner with cardboard signs that say “Will work for food.” They obviously don’t work for justice. They didn’t work for that little girl. She deserved better from a system that would claim the modifier “justice”.
This is admittedly especially offensive to me. In my ministry work, I have seen many victims of childhood sexual abuse. It’s a horrible thing for a child’s innocence to be stolen. I have heard many stories of little girls who went to mom or dad to reveal what was happening to them, only to be told something that made them feel like the abuse wasn’t really all that bad (ie, “Just stay away from Uncle Bill when he comes around.). The little girl in McAlester has been told this, not by a weak parent, but by the court. “Honey, we’re sorry about what happened to you, but it wasn’t really all that bad; we’re just going to send the man to prison for a year.” Damn this!
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There is NO excuse for that lame reason for not allowing that girl to testify. She could have given her statement on video and not had to personally face her perpetrator again. We DO live in a technological age and that technology can and should be used for good in cases like this. There are ways to give little children justice without further violating them.
I am a living example of a woman who still (at age 59) struggles from the after effects of childhood sexual abuse. I didn't know till I was at least 40 years old that what happened to me was criminal behavior. My perpetrator died at 50y/o and was a sickly man for much of his adult life. I should be sad for him because he lived such a miserable life and is most likely VERY much in eternal heat for his behaviors. I know of at least 7 people he sexually abused. He also lived across the street from an elementary school and I often wonder how many kids he may have abused. Just the thought of him watching them walk home from school with his beady dark (opposite of light!) evil eyes gives me the creeps - to put it mildly - and to let my mind go any further with imaginations is not healthy for my psyche.
I pray that our justice system will wise up. I do believe that some offenders are beginning to face some rational judges and juries but this case really infuriates me.
I pray someone will help the little five year old girl this happened to before her entire life is totally wrecked by his actions.
Mary L Call, M.A.
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