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View Full Version : Rape on Appalachian Trail never happened, cops say - Times Herald-Record



WhiteBlaze
05-28-2008, 02:40
<table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/0-0&fd=R&url=http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D/20080528/NEWS/80527042&cid=1216790872&ei=Rf48SKKTHYiwyQT9qv2HCQ&usg=AFrqEzd5drl62FacLe0OauynOZrqg-9tOg">Rape on <b>Appalachian Trail</b> never happened, cops say</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>Times Herald-Record,&nbsp;NY&nbsp;-</font> <nobr>38 minutes ago</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>By Matt King PINE ISLAND — A woman who said she was raped last month on the <b>Appalachian Trail</b> has admitted she made up the story, state police said. <b>...</b></font><br><font size=-1><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/0-1&fd=R&url=http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D/20080527/NEWS/80527019&cid=1216790872&ei=Rf48SKKTHYiwyQT9qv2HCQ&usg=AFrqEzfqFBVaCW8H6E5sgvAZ_QhXGFhzZg">Woman recants rape story</a> <font size=-1 color=#6f6f6f><nobr>Times Herald-Record</nobr></font></font><br><font class=p size=-1><a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?ie=ISO-8859-1&ncl=1216790872&hl=en><nobr>all 2 news articles</nobr></a></font></div></font></td></tr></table>

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Wolf - 23000
05-28-2008, 08:30
I’m sure we all would agree rape is a vicious crime and a total disrespect to another human being. With that said, why would someone fake being rape by a stranger? Does she need attention that bad?

Wolf

MOWGLI
05-28-2008, 08:35
Sad. The area that this non-incident occurred is about 10 minutes from where I lived for 14 years. I spent many many hours birding, hiking, and skiing at the Wallkill Refuge off Oil City Road. It's a very popular day use area - with the 2.5 mile Liberty Loop Trail - part of which is the AT.

http://www.fws.gov/northeast/wallkillriver/hiking.htm

orangebug
05-28-2008, 09:47
There are many motivations. The most notorious recent "fake rape" occured in Durham, NC with lacrosse players accussed. Racial issues were involved, along with the political agenda of a prosecutor who was subsequently disbarred and sentenced for perjury.

The accusser simply had the few trappings of a reputation trashed - and a baby from an unknown sperm donor (non-Duke student).

It is a real shame for the child and those who were falsely accussed.

Frolicking Dinosaurs
05-28-2008, 09:58
While I hope the young lady did indeed make this up and will get the psychological help that making up such a claim would indicate is necessary, another thought comes to my mind. Perhaps she is recanting just to not have to deal with the aftermath -- the questioning, the trial, the people who look on her rape as her own fault for being out there (hi MS ;)).

I have dealt with many, many cases of child rape where the victim attempted to recant even though there was absolute evidence the crime occurred. They do so for any number of reasons - fear or the accused or or the court process, distaste for the new living situation that often followed, becoming tired of the questioning and counseling that followed, love for the accused (often a family member), pressure from the family to recant, being treated differently by peers (some people see a rape victim as an easy target for subsequent sexual encounters).

Another possible reason comes to mind - This girl may just want to get back out on the trail and is being seriously dissuaded by her family out of fear for her safety.

orangebug
05-28-2008, 11:02
Not to beat a dead horse, the article suggests that the police are satisfied that no sexual assault occurred.

Most jurisdictions attempt to prevent a victim from dropping charges - although it can hamper prosecution when the victim refuses to testify. For this charge to be dropped in such a publicized way suggests that there is no reason to suspect a victim recanting due to coersion by perpetrators or family members.

But conspiracy theories are the American way of life.

angewrite
05-28-2008, 21:41
It's people like her that make prosecutors and others question women when they report a crime that actually happened. Women like her are the reason the poor girl in VA was raped after another young woman reported the bastard for the same crime and the police/prosecution believed him over her. I hope she does jail time.