Wednesday, April 04, 2012

False accuser is not charged

AP reports:
LONGVIEW, Wash. -- The Cowlitz County prosecutor says she won't charge a Longview woman who admitted she lied when she said her father raped her -- sending him to prison for more than nine years.

Prosecutor Sue Baur says charging Cassandra Kennedy might discourage girls from reporting sexual assaults.

Now 23 years old, Cassandra Kennedy says guilt prompted her to tell police in January that she lied as an 11-year-old in 2001 in Kalama.

The Daily News reports her father, Thomas Edward Kennedy, denied the allegation but was convicted by a jury and sentenced in 2002 to more than 15 years in prison.
Now 43, Thomas Kennedy was released last week and all charges against him were dismissed.

Cassandra Kennedy says she lied because she was disappointed in her father after her parents divorced.
The real problem here is that a father can be sent to prison based on the sayso of an 11yo daughter who is disappointed with her parents' divorce. The article doesn't say, but the mom surely put the kid up to do this, and lied about it.

Dads don't rape their daughters. These accusations are nearly always bogus, if not always bogus. They should not even be considered unless there is physical evidence. This case says a lot about how dads are devalued, while women get away with serious crimes without being punished.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

If "Dads don't rape their daughters," how much sexual abuse short of rape should be permitted? Perhaps you should follow this story to its conclusion:

http://riverforest.suntimes.com/10853089-417/foster-parent-indicted-lawyer-seeks-reduced-bond.html

http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/03-16-2012/Gaskill_pleads_not_guilty_in_River_Forest_child_abuse_case

Note that there's already a partial confession.

George said...

The accusation is against a foster parent, not a dad. He is not accused of rape. There is no physical or other corroborating evidence. The alleged abuse was years ago, and cannot be verified. The man denies it.

Here are clickable links. Foster parent indicted; lawyer seeks reduced bond,

Gaskill pleads not guilty in River Forest child abuse case
.

Cindy White said...

Same thing happened to my brother in 2005, he still sits an innocent man in Cummins Prison in Arkansas. Both daughters took the stand saying he did it, now are recanting and no one will free my brother. Chris White deserves to come home and reunite with his daughters. That is where he belongs, with his family. Cindy White

Anonymous said...

GEORGE,

GIVEN THAT THE GIRL WAS ONLY 11 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME, AND LIKELY PUT UP TO MAKING THE FALSE ACCUSATION, WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE DONE TO THE GIRL ?

I THINK IT'S A TOUGH CALL....

George said...

The girl is still lying. The mom put her up to this. I would be inclined to let the girl go if she tells the truth, but I don't think that she is.

Anonymous said...

The state of Washington should pay this man $500,000.00.