Man gets seven years for rape of four year old!

[peace13]

http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/201307101731/NEWS01/307100023

Really, what has the country come to? This article shows just how far down the path we have come! So sad! Parents, keep your children close! This child will deal horrendous abuse for the rest of her life and this sad and sorry man will be back on the street before we know it!

[undergroundpanther]

1. pedophiles

cannot be cured or trusted among people ,wish the state would kill of pedophiles.BTW alot of them are republicans.

[BainsBane]

3. THIS is rape culture

For all those who deny it's existence. Stories that show short sentences, cops not bothering to investigate, or serial rapists being released from jail to reoffend crop up all the time.

[davidn3600]

10. Our recidivism is nearly 60% across the board of practially all crimes

The problem isn't just rapists...its the whole system. Our prison system does not fix people, it only makes them harder criminals. Our recidivism is among the worst in the modern world.

And please don't bring up this crap about men serving light sentences...it's been shot down.. Studies show women get up to 63% lighter sentences for the exact same crimes....
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/11/men-women-prison-sentence-length-gender-gap_n_1874742.html

You want men to serve even longer? Where are you going to put them? We already have 5 times more prisoners per capita than China! And our state governments are out of money. In fact, California is now be ordered by the feds to release 10,000 prisoners because their prisons have reached 170% of capacity.

Im sorry...but prison is not going to solve your rape culture.

[BainsBane]

13. Only 4% of rapists are convicted

Hell yes, I'd have them do time longer. They are violent predators. They could stop imprisoning non-violent drug offenders. Destroying children's lives is more serious.

They are releasing one in California who has committed over 40 rapes. Last time he was released he raped someone that very day. Something is seriously fucked up when violent offenders authorities know will assault again are released.

You are effectively saying the protection of children and adult rape victims aren't important enough that those assailants receive sentences that protect the public. Pedophiles ALWAYS repeat offend. That is who they are. This verdict is disgusting. It shows the priorities of our diseased culture.

[davidn3600]

21. Im just saying...

...the reality of the situation...

When your prisons are at 170% capacity, and you have all these mandatory minimum laws on the books, you can't increase it anywhere anymore. It's simple mathematics...Something has to give.
Yes if you release non-violent drug offenders and lower penalties for non-violent crimes, it would relieve a lot of pressure on the system. But then you would have to end the war on drugs. And you and I both know few politicians stand a chance of winning with that platform, even in the Democratic party. They will be destroyed by the label that they are "soft on crime" and support drug legalization.

But in any case, its still not going to solve your problem of so few rapes being a conviction. The biggest problem with that isn't the police. But the problem is that rape is rarely reported. I understand the victim is going through a lot psychologically...but if she never reports the crime, there can be no investigation, no arrest, no trial, no sentence. Nothing is going to get set in motion if she doesnt say anything.
I dont know the solution to that. A lot of women dont report for various reasons. They may think they wont be believed. They are scared. They may not want to go through a trial. etc.. The mechanics of the justice system does benefit the rapist somewhat because he has the presumption of innocence.

[defacto7]

4. My guess is,

this guy will be out of jail when the child is about 12! Think about who is really going to be in jail for the long haul. The child.

[sbh]

5. That's all he got?

[peace13]

6. It is a mind boggle to me!

He rapes a very young child, almost a baby in my book and that is all he got. When did the punishment for rape drop to basically nothing? This guy is a monster!

[sbh]

8. That's a throw away the key offense.

[Captain Stern]

7. Ridiculous

I don't get it.

They let him plea out of one of the two charges, and then he doesn't even get the max sentence for the remaining charge?

What a sad, sick, joke.

[Lurks Often]

9. Wonder what the prosecutors were thinking

unless the case was so weak that this was the best they could do.

And yes, the sentence isn't nearly long enough

[peace13]

15. After talking to some folks in the court system....

It appears that this guy did this to a family member and they petitioned the court to be easy on him. Even better, this guy will be in her life forever. This is like women who get beaten by their husbands and don't press charges. They live to be beaten another day.

Who speaks for the children in this society?

[Lurks Often]

17. I can't grasp why they would do that. n/t

[Puglover]

11. I read the article.

How does a man that raped a 4 year old "score low" on a sex offender test? I'd say that the test might just have a few flaws.

[peace13]

16. You got me.

Maybe, if he stays sober and clean there is a fifty fifty chance that he won't rape again.

[bobclark86]

12. So, should we go back to the old ways...

and just hang them all?

[peace13]

14. Try a little empathy and the answer will come to you.

If this were your daughter I doubt that seven years would suffice.

Now back to your question. I think the punishment should fit the crime. This act on the most innocent of our society should carry a punishment equal the crime. He dealt a lifetime of suffering so he should take a lifetime of suffering as punishment. I do not believe in killing so that leaves incarceration. Should he decide to kill himself...well that is his business.

[Sheepshank]

19. There is some merit to the idea

Some people (like Elizabeth Smart) for instance have the emotional capacity to deal with some things differently than others.

Perhaps its the lingering effect on the individual victim that should dictate the nature of the time served. Once the victim is lets say 18 (an adult), they can determine if they are still suffering the ill effects of the rape. I would hate for a child to have to make that decision. That re-evaluation could determine if the rapist should be released. If the victim is not over it...the sentence is not over either.

If the victim is an adult, the min, 7 years is served and then re-evaluated based on the healing level of the victim.

[peace13]

23. Interesting concept!

My parents divorced in a messy style. My sisters were very distraught and showed it outwardly. I held my pain and fear inside. To my parents they thought that I could handle things so much better than my sisters and that the event had not affected me as much as it had my sisters. Go figure.

These are complicated issues no doubt. It would be nice if every victim could have at least one adult to lean on. That would go a long way to resolving some of the pain.

[gollygee]

20. Rape is just barely illegal

Even rape of children. If the victim had been an older child, it's possible the rapist would never have even been pursused, as in this case where there were a large number of rapists: http://www.wwmt.com//news/features/featured/stories/family-files-suit-against-grpd-hope-academy-rape-case-1509.shtml

As said upthread, this is what rape culture looks like. It's horrible

[Xyzse]

22. Just 7 Years?

You get so much more than that from possesion.
The F!