Sex assault victims should speak up
Because victims were believed and willing to testify, the July 9 sentencing of foster parent Joe Lujan for the sexual assault of three young girls will help protect other children (“40 years for sex offender,” July 10). We should all be grateful that the courts are becoming more willing to deal with crimes against children with serious penalties for serious crimes.
Also, the conviction on July 13 by a Denver jury of former foster parent and Episcopalian ex-priest Donald Shissler of sexually assaulting three young boys will hopefully prevent another predator from harming any more children, at least until he is released from prison (“Ex-priest convicted of sex assaults,” July 14).
I hope that victims of sexual assault, particularly child sexual assault, will continue to come forward, pointing the finger at perpetrators of such crimes.
It is my hope also that state lawmakers and Gov. Bill Ritter will begin to see how important it is that we provide a civil window of justice for countless other victims of child sexual assault, currently time-barred from pressing charges by archaic statutes of limitation, to come forward and help the community identify continuing threats to our kids’ safety.
This is the only way that continuing patterns of criminal behavior by known perpetrators can be curtailed and other children protected.
Jeb Barrett, Aurora
Only someone that has not had their childhood stolen by a molester could not understand how hard it is to come forward. When I was a child my father molested me, and no one wanted to believe me. Not my mother, her divorce attorney (the divorce was pending before the molestation), or the judge in her case. The only people that believed me was the school counselor that tricked me into telling him and my grandparents. The system is set up to continually abuse the victims. It took me many years to deal with not only the pain of the abuse, but the pain of not having the support of the people that were supposed to help me. First and foremost the JUDGE that knew what happened and still ordered visitation with that man.
Posted by Mickey on July 19, 2007 09:04 AMWe have a Catholic Governor; we have the Vatican Five as Supremes blowing a huge hole in the Wall that Separates America's Siamese twin of Church and State permitting W. Bush to give $billions to Christianity. We've got Vatican Two in a Black African and a Brown Italian militating against the Founding Fathers wanting to do to the Wall what was done to the twin towers in NYC on 9/11. We've got the Vatican terrorists telling Jefferson, Madison and dozens of other deist Founders to go to hell. America's Taliban, Christianity, is on the march with its Jew mandate found in Luke 19:27: "Kill those that should not accept that I should reign over them," paraphrasing the parable. ask.com
Deicide Corner: James Madison famously wrote that government in a free society may not force a citizen to contribute even "three pence" in support of any establishment of religion. Yet mega taxes have been poured into creating an internal federal "faith-based" bureaucracy that the founding fathers had explicitly precluded in adopting a secular Constitution.
Posted by Richard Grimes Deicide r22037@yahoo.com (ffrf.com and ask for free copy of Freethought Today) on July 19, 2007 10:02 AMOur legislature needs to pass Jessica's law,25 years to life 1st offense on a child 12 and under.There are over 9,000 sex offenders living in our communities. Those are the one's that are registered. There are plenty more who refuse to register ,have not been caught yet or have had plea bargained charges and don't have to register.
If you would like to know where the sex offenders are in your neighborhood you can go to CBI's website.
However an easier and free site it is www.familywatchdog.us This website was set up with the help of John Walsh who has done so many things to help our children for many ,many years. This website also has a sign up alert. You sign up and they will alert you by e-mail if a sex offender moves in or out of your neighborhood. This is a free website and a wonderful way to keep track of who is in your neighborhood.
Colorado does not care about it's children. Most sex offenders get light sentences or are paroled after a few years. The Prosecutor's instead of doing the hard work needed in these type of cases rather plea bargain than go after these predators and put them away for a very long time.
Our legislature recently passed a law that they really can't enforce. It require's a registered sex offender to register his or her e-mail and any names they use in chat rooms. This is the most ridiculous law I have ever seen.
How about passing Jessica's Law and take the sentencing out of judge's hands who really don't care and believe in restorative justice which does not work on sex offender's.
Colorado cares more about trees and trails instead of the children and their trail of tears and pain.
Posted by Can I get an AMEN! on July 20, 2007 10:55 AMIn all the years I was forced to go to church, I never once heard a word about the sin of incest. Never heard one man up on that pulpit talk about keeping children from the clutches of men who were relatives or family friends.
I heard a lot about the sins of fornication, couple of consenting kids, or adults having sex just infuriated those church goers.
They never talked about non-consensual sex or molestation.
Victims need all the help and encouragement they can get.
Posted by Sharon B. on July 20, 2007 02:50 PMYour right Sharon B. they don't talk about incest. More children are raped and molested by someone in their family or someone they know.
Every week we hear another story of a child being molested or raped by a clergy,a pastor,a youth counselor,a teacher,or a family member.
The victims are victimized all over again by not putting these people in prison for very long times. The ex-priest being sentenced to 210 years is far from normal.Usally the prosecutors plea bargain these cases down instead of doing the hard work so they can be locked up for long sentences.The judges believe in restorative justice,which does not help these sick and twisted people.There is no cure. So they are let out on light sentences.Teachers seem to get off easy for some reason.Family members get off easy too.
Can you imagine getting raped by a family member and then have to be around that person? It must be horrible.
The laws need to be changed to start protecting our children fron every predator.
Posted by Can I get an AMEN! on July 21, 2007 11:25 AMAmen.!
Posted by Sharon B. on July 21, 2007 04:23 PM