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In the sex abuse headlines this weekend are two stories: one overturning a sentence and the other a sentencing of four years in prison.
The 2nd District Illinois Appellate Court overturned the 20-year jail sentence for the Aurora gymnastics coach Michael Cardamone. He had been convicted of sexually abusing seven girls between the age of seven and twelve. Prosecutors had accused him of inappropriately touching the girls during stretching exercises. A new trial has been ordered, citing several errors in the 2005 trial, “improper introduction of crimes with which Cardamone was not charged, exclusion of defense expert testimony, and faulty jury instructions by Judge Michael Burke.” [Trib, WBBM]
In the other story, a former Downers Grove youth minister was sentence to four years for sexually abusing a 13 to 17 year-old-girl while he was in a position of trust. He faced up to 15 years. Still pending, charges against a former youth basketball coach for alleged sexual assault of a female minor. A third man, a former church deacon, pleaded guilty in 2006 to charges of sexual abuse of an underaged female. [Trib]
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In the Cardamone trial, the poor guy never had a chance. The hysteria of people who wanted to "defend children" trumped common sense.
Experts had warned that repeated questioning and encouragement, by adults and peers, to make accusations had occurred.
This likely caused the implanting of false memories in the young girls, some of whom claimed hundreds of incidents of molestation. All in a crowded, well-lit gym right in front of parents and other students.
DuPage taxpayers will be paying the inevitable lawsuit settlement to Mr. Cardamone.
The poor guy? Really? You don't find it difficult to believe that every single accusation was invented by these girls? Whether he molested many girls dozens of times or one girl one time he deserves to be in jail.
"After a trial that lasted two months and included testimony from more than 100 witnesses, a jury convicted Cardamone of abusing seven girls, ages 7 to 14, at an Aurora gym."
I'm sure all those people just made it up. Phrases like "false memories" are just the reason why rapes go unpunished and victims of these crimes are afraid to come forward.
We will see what happens when the county appeals.
You mention the "100 witnesses."
You left out the point that 86 witnesses were on the side of the defense. Most of them were there to testify that, in seeing Mr. Cardamone conduct many classes, they never saw anything.
And this is in a crowded gym. Well-lit.
With coaches needed to help kids from crashing hard and getting hurt. Also, Mr. Cardamone taught many dozens of groups over the years.
Yet the most of the accusations came from a group of friends in one group. Repeated questioning. Suggestive interviews. Girls talking. Friends bonding with friends. Incompetent investigators. Ever hear of the Salem Witch Trials?
Others were there to explain the layout of the gym, which, by the way, since the judge would not allow a jury-visit to the gym.
Red Jen writes:
False memory syndrome? You want to go back to the days when any result obtained under hypnosis was accepted on faith?
Ward Up writes:
Remember Gary Dotson? Remember the argument that held that the actual truth regarding his guilt or innocence was less important than the effect his conviction had on rape consciousness?
I doubt that this attitude ever really went away.
Obtaining information from hypnotized people is a little different than hundreds of testimonies from a variety of people who have known the man for a number of years.
And the Gary Dotson case is also very different. The DNA evidence was misused by the prosecution and obviously by officers, which was the key factor in proving Dotson's innocence. There was no DNA in this trial, so it isn't and can't be so cut and dry.
And while I missed the Salem Witch trials by a few hundred years, I also don't see much of a correlation. Rape and sexual assaults are a bit different than the practice of witchcraft. I don't think the Kane County State's Attorney's office has a beef with gymnastics coaches and is trying to aggressively prosecute him for no good reason.
Maybe there were girls swayed by overzealous parents and peers, but I continue to struggle with the concept of these allegations being invented for the purpose of throwing an "innocent" man in jail. And has the defense come up with a reason these people would falsely accuse Cardamone? Because I certainly haven't heard one.
"...And has the defense come up with a reason these people would falsely accuse Cardamone? Because I certainly haven't heard one...."
You're missing the point. These girls actually believed they were felt up, all the time while clothed in a crowded gym in front of many witnesses, over many years, with many girls saying that they were molested hundreds of times.
It started with one girl telling a story. Adults got involved. Then the shitstorm started.
Let's say that maybe, just maybe, an extremely small "maybe," something did happen. I still would say that there is reasonable doubt.
Ward Up, everything you say makes sense.
This reminds me of that case years ago where the family that ran that daycare center was accused of molesting children.
It was like a 20th Century Salem Witch Trial.
If you go back and look at the facts of that case, it's frightening how easy it is to have your whole life destroyed because of the hysteria of people thinking this happened and prosecuting attorneys who can't see beyond a conviction at any cost.
There is a case that I saw on tv recently concerning a female teacher who had two high school boys accuse her of sexual misconduct. The one boy finally recanted but the other one will not. From what I gleaned, it is so obvious this boy is lying and will not recant just to save face.
The financial and emotional cost to this woman and her family has to be the worst nightmare one could ever face.
I couldn't even imaging having to go through something like this because of a lie.
When I see stories like this sometimes it makes me think that the case for being a hermit is a good one.