An Unbelievable Story of Rape

[RavenSky]

Some people read this article and thought, "this is a story about a victim of a violent rape who was again victimized by negligent and harmful police procedures. That's awful."

Some people read this article and thought, "this is a story about a woman who did things wrong. She should have known better." (things like failing to "act like a 'real' rape victim," despite, you know, _being_ a real rape victim)

The first group reads the replies of the second group and thinks, "that's what you got out of this?" and the second group replies, "you didn't?"

Fascinating. It's a Poe.
I bet no one in the first group really expected the second group to act like themselves in _this_ case.
But they did.

I don't know if I truly didn't expect that a certain someone would act true to form, or if I was simply hoping against hope that he wouldn't.

 

[RavenSky]

You either did not read the linked article, or you immediately forgot what you read. Also, your suspicions are worthless here. She did not resort to lying. After being bullied by the police who interrogated her (yes, 'bullied' and 'interrogated' both seem to be words that apply here), she said it might have been a nightmare. She probably hoped it had been a nightmare. She wrote a statement that said as much, and signed it for her interrogators, but that was not enough for them. They coerced her into writing out a second statement saying that she had lied about the whole thing.

Of course the police try to break down her story, they would be negligent if they didn't.

The problem is that she responded to that by turning around and saying her initial report was a lie.

Loren, she was the VICTIM, not the suspect. Police do not go around interrogating or trying to "break down" the stories of the VICTIMS in a crime. That is just fucking ridiculous

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Of course the police try to break down her story, they would be negligent if they didn't.

The problem is that she responded to that by turning around and saying her initial report was a lie.

Loren, she was the VICTIM, not the suspect. Police do not go around interrogating or trying to "break down" the stories of the VICTIMS in a crime. That is just fucking ridiculous

Yeah, the term is corroborate not "break down". If they can't corroborate (as seemed to be the case as they were dealing with a rather wise serial rapist), then they need to get a feel to see if she is making it up, but that would require a psychologist and compassion, not a Police Officer with disdain.

That she had internal abrasions would seem to quickly confirm something had happened. Sex gone wrong? Not certain how some other people are doing it, but I've never had problems with the woman getting internal abrasions.

From Peggy, "She seemed so detached and removed emotionally.”

And this is the really sad part. What the woman suffered, it does sound like it was from a TV show. What bothers me, however, is that the repeatedly talk about how Marie sounded detached doesn't sound atypical for a person who has a history of abuse and then gets raped. It actually sounds like someone desperately trying to cope with it.

 

[RavenSky]

She also had abrasions on her wrists consistent with being tied up with the shoe laces.

Sent from my SM-G920T1 using Tapatalk

 

[Rhea]

If they can't corroborate (as seemed to be the case as they were dealing with a rather wise serial rapist), then they need to get a feel to see if she is making it up, but that would require a psychologist and compassion, not a Police Officer with disdain.

The really sad part is that (if I read the story correctly) Marie was the FIRST of five victims. If they has worked to solve this case instead of be so quick to violate department protocol in their effort to blame her, then 4 other women would not have had to endure a rape. He got more sophisticated as he went on. He didn't take her sheets, for example, as he did with the others.

All four of those women can blame those two detectives and that department for their rapes. Nice job, boys.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Of course the police try to break down her story, they would be negligent if they didn't.

Why? She was reporting a crime, not being investigated for criminal activity.

The problem is that she responded to that by turning around and saying her initial report was a lie.

The problem is that she was treated like a criminal, rather than a victim, and she came to the point where she would do anything they told her to do just to get the ongoing trauma to end.

The police always consider the possibility that the person reporting a crime is lying.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

You're so determined the woman is right you missed the point. Either she's lying about the rape or she's lying when she said she's lying about the rape.

No Loren... YOU are so fucking determined to blame the rape victim, that you are writing asinine bullshit. But fine, let's play your stupid game...

If, per your bullshit, Marie was "lying when she said she's lying about the rape" after being bullied by the police to write that lie... are you suggesting she should have been prosecuted for it? Seriously?

The crime is making a false police report--and she most certainly did that.

 

[laughing dog]

Why? She was reporting a crime, not being investigated for criminal activity.

The problem is that she responded to that by turning around and saying her initial report was a lie.

The problem is that she was treated like a criminal, rather than a victim, and she came to the point where she would do anything they told her to do just to get the ongoing trauma to end.

The police always consider the possibility that the person reporting a crime is lying.

The police were wrong this time - both in that assumption and in their methods. And as Rhea pointed out, if they had been a bit more diligent and a lot less assholish, they might have been able to stop this serial rapist before he raped 4 more women.

- - - Updated - - -

No Loren... YOU are so fucking determined to blame the rape victim, that you are writing asinine bullshit. But fine, let's play your stupid game...

If, per your bullshit, Marie was "lying when she said she's lying about the rape" after being bullied by the police to write that lie... are you suggesting she should have been prosecuted for it? Seriously?

The crime is making a false police report--and she most certainly did that.

No, she did not. She reported a rape. She did not report that she made something up. Why do you feel the need to literally make stuff up in order to defend these two fuckups?

 

[Derec]

The police were wrong this time - both in that assumption and in their methods. And as Rhea pointed out, if they had been a bit more diligent and a lot less assholish, they might have been able to stop this serial rapist before he raped 4 more women.

That is highly unlikely. There was a dearth of evidence, which is part of what led them to disbelieve her in the first place. I do no think anybody saw a Mazda pickup truck in connection with her case and yet it was that piece of evidence that led them to the perp.
Also, the other 4 women were not disbelieved and still it took police a while to even connect the cases, much less solve them. Note that the connection was discovered accidentally, because two cops from different departments happened to be married to each other.

 

[laughing dog]

That is highly unlikely. There was a dearth of evidence, which is part of what led them to disbelieve her in the first place....

Still more likely than the actual situation of doing nothing because of their assholish disbelief because it is not possible to find a rapist when you won't look for one.

 

[coloradoatheist]

That is highly unlikely. There was a dearth of evidence, which is part of what led them to disbelieve her in the first place....

Still more likely than the actual situation of doing nothing because of their assholish disbelief because it is not possible to find a rapist when you won't look for one.

They investigated it for several days. Was there a possibility of solving it after the couple days, maybe. But as Derec said it would have been hard.

The problem with the officers wasn't necessarily disbelieving the story, they talked to her friends who also believed she made it up. She should never have been prosecuted.

 

[KeepTalking]

Why? She was reporting a crime, not being investigated for criminal activity.

The problem is that she responded to that by turning around and saying her initial report was a lie.

The problem is that she was treated like a criminal, rather than a victim, and she came to the point where she would do anything they told her to do just to get the ongoing trauma to end.

The police always consider the possibility that the person reporting a crime is lying.

That seems like an assertion that would be very difficult to prove. Entertaining the possibility that someone is lying, however, is quite different from interrogating for hours the person reporting a crime.

 

[Rhea]

The problem with the officers wasn't necessarily disbelieving the story,

How do you read the words of the police department SAYING IT FUCKED UP and still make this heartless statement?
Jesus, what more does it take beyond the police department ITSELF saying that if they had only followed procedure she would never have been put through this second victimization?

You come along after reading that the Police department blames itself and you still blame this 18 year old.
This is so incredibly fucked up.

The detectives who did finally break the case said how the Police departments COULD solve so many more of these if they cared about sharing rape case data. If they tried, they HAVE the info to solve. And no one makes them do it.

It's easier to say the 18yo girl should have known better than all those detectives.

This conversation is so fucked up. It's like none of you even want to prevent rapes. It blows my mind wide open.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Still more likely than the actual situation of doing nothing because of their assholish disbelief because it is not possible to find a rapist when you won't look for one.

They investigated it for several days. Was there a possibility of solving it after the couple days, maybe. But as Derec said it would have been hard.

The problem with the officers wasn't necessarily disbelieving the story, they talked to her friends who also believed she made it up. She should never have been prosecuted.

Yeah, except vaginal wounds and her wrists indicated signs of bounding. The physical evidence implied she was attacked and sexually assaulted. But the cops want to then disbelieve her and suggest she is lying, when she suffered wounding that implied rape?!

What more evidence did they need to take her seriously?

 

[laughing dog]

Still more likely than the actual situation of doing nothing because of their assholish disbelief because it is not possible to find a rapist when you won't look for one.

They investigated it for several days. Was there a possibility of solving it after the couple days, maybe. But as Derec said it would have been hard.

So what? Given their assholishness, one wonders how hard they tried when they did investigate.

 

[coloradoatheist]

They investigated it for several days. Was there a possibility of solving it after the couple days, maybe. But as Derec said it would have been hard.

The problem with the officers wasn't necessarily disbelieving the story, they talked to her friends who also believed she made it up. She should never have been prosecuted.

Yeah, except vaginal wounds and her wrists indicated signs of bounding. The physical evidence implied she was attacked and sexually assaulted. But the cops want to then disbelieve her and suggest she is lying, when she suffered wounding that implied rape?!

What more evidence did they need to take her seriously?

We get spoiled from our TV law shows with how well detectives and crime scene investigators work together and solve a crime within an hour. The detective gets a call from Marie's friend that says she made the story up, he asks Marie if she made the story up and she says yes then there are problems.

The best solution and maybe everyone will agree, is that all interrogations need to be taped with sound.

- - - Updated - - -

They did the normal things with looking for the obvious signs. They had a dog try and chase the footprints, they asked other people about anything they saw. As I said, we are spoiled from TV where they solve all the crimes.

 

[laughing dog]

We get spoiled from our TV law shows with how well detectives and crime scene investigators work together and solve a crime within an hour. The detective gets a call from Marie's friend that says she made the story up, he asks Marie if she made the story up and she says yes then there are problems.

That synopsis ignores quite a bit. It is pretty clear yet another commentator has not read the OP article.

 

[KeepTalking]

The best solution and maybe everyone will agree, is that all interrogations need to be taped with sound.

You will not get agreement from me that this woman should have been interrogated at all. She was reporting a crime, that is not a reason to interrogate someone. Given that the interrogation should not have been conducted, I don't see how anything about recording interrogations can be a possible solution in this situation.

 

[coloradoatheist]

The best solution and maybe everyone will agree, is that all interrogations need to be taped with sound.

You will not get agreement from me that this woman should have been interrogated at all. She was reporting a crime, that is not a reason to interrogate someone. Given that the interrogation should not have been conducted, I don't see how anything about recording interrogations can be a possible solution in this situation.

Except her friends/foster care said she had made it up. There is a line between interrogation and trying to get more detail too.

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We get spoiled from our TV law shows with how well detectives and crime scene investigators work together and solve a crime within an hour. The detective gets a call from Marie's friend that says she made the story up, he asks Marie if she made the story up and she says yes then there are problems.

That synopsis ignores quite a bit. It is pretty clear yet another commentator has not read the OP article.

I have read it several times. The one way they could have verified it wasn't made up would have been to go to forensic lab and ask, "Could those bruises have been self-inflicted?" And I don't know what their answer would be.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Yeah, except vaginal wounds and her wrists indicated signs of bounding. The physical evidence implied she was attacked and sexually assaulted. But the cops want to then disbelieve her and suggest she is lying, when she suffered wounding that implied rape?!

What more evidence did they need to take her seriously?

We get spoiled from our TV law shows with how well detectives and crime scene investigators work together and solve a crime within an hour. The detective gets a call from Marie's friend that says she made the story up, he asks Marie if she made the story up and she says yes then there are problems.

The best solution and maybe everyone will agree, is that all interrogations need to be taped with sound.

- - - Updated - - -

They did the normal things with looking for the obvious signs. They had a dog try and chase the footprints, they asked other people about anything they saw. As I said, we are spoiled from TV where they solve all the crimes.

I like Homicide LotS. That show was real, some crimes solved, others not, some took over a season to solve.

What does this have to do with vaginal abrasions which indicate vaginal assault. I'm not faulting the police for not solving the crime but for accusing her of lying when she suffered from vaginal abrasions!