Jerry Sandusky Trial

[Digger]

Anyone else following this?

I know it is a painful subject amongst many of us, but at the same time it is quite rare that there is actually a witness to the act who can testify at trial and in that respect this trial is unique. It is also quite rare that young men are willing to testify on their own behalf to sexual abuse since in most cases (think Catholic Church here) it is most often swept under the carpet... at least it was in my day.

How do you think the trial will go? What sort of verdict do you think Sandusky will end up with?

Jim

 

[AeryFairy]

I guess this is a US thing? Could you link me to some articles that accurately portray what is happening? I'd google, but then you get a lot of fantastical speculation and the like, and it's hard to sift through it.

 

[mlp]

I think he will be found guilty on pretty much all counts. If he isn't I will lose what remaining faith I have in the judicial system.

AeryFairy, here's a Wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Sandusky

 

[GhostLikeSwayze]

I believe Sandusky will be found guilty. The prosecution is doing a very solid job of keeping their presentation simple and not muddying the water by trying to counter everything the defense might bring up. Someone has done a very fine job of witness prep, with only a couple of glitches so far (McQueary's father had a slip up about his GJ testimony, not a lot else).
At best, Sandusky's attorney will be battling for a mistrial, and then probably try to make some kind of plea agreement if the prosecution doesn't want another trial. With Sandusky's age I don't see how there can be a sentence where he will ever step foot outside a prison again.

What I find more interesting, and which ties into your comments about the Catholic Church, is the prosecution of the PSU officials who had an obligation to follow up on what MM told them. If what is reported about their emails discussing a cover up is true, those administrators are in a world of hurt.

 

[Capstan]

I haven't been following it, but it's all over the news, so hard to miss. If he's guilty, I hope they hang him by his scrotum, as Edward Albee would say. I think this is symptomatic of an overall corrupt system that allows the wrong people to rise to authority.

 

[dormouse]

I just saw part of an interview that I had not seen before on NYT.com. I know we have due process and all, but that man is guilty as ****. With so many accusers and witnesses, he's going to be convicted.

 

[Digger]

I'm sorry AeryFairy, I forgot to post a link for those of you who are not familiar with the case. Thanks MLP for posting the wiki article.

I think the most damning testimony so far has been that of Mike McQeary who was the assistant coach at the time and actually saw one of the boys being raped by Sandusky. McQueary has been under fire for not doing more at the time... instead of calling the police or at the very least getting the boy to safety he fled the locker room and called his dad for advice, leaving the boy alone with Sandusky. The boy has never been found or come forward, and given that Sandusky pretty much treated those boys as disposable playthings, who knows what happened to him afterwards. That was in 2002 and due to PSU officials wanting to 'handle the matter internally' no charges were brought upon Sandusky until now, leaving him to abuse more boys in the interim.

Recap of McQueary's testimony:

http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/football/articles/2012/06/13/shower_abuse_detailed/

 

[mlp]

Although it's not an in depth article, this does give some idea of the mind **** sexual abusers do on kids: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/jerry-sanduskys-alleged-victims-shame-fear-love/story?id=16570043

I have often wondered whether the incidence of sexual abuse on boys is still under reported, because of societal expectations that make it difficult for boys to admit victimization, as well as the whole homosexual taboo. (Let me be clear - rape of a boy or a man has no implications as to sexuality, but we all know that there are a lot of idiots out there who think differently.)

 

[Digger]

I have often wondered whether the incidence of sexual abuse on boys is still under reported, because of societal expectations that make it difficult for boys to admit victimization, as well as the whole homosexual taboo. (Let me be clear - rape of a boy or a man has no implications as to sexuality, but we all know that there are a lot of idiots out there who think differently.)

You make a very good point MLP and my personal experience falls under the latter portion of your post regarding homosexual taboo. I have been attracted to my own sex for as long as I can remember and the few times IRL that I have opened up about my childhood experiences to counselors and/or friends I have often been surprised to get this reaction from some: "But you already knew you were gay so what's the problem"? I just don't get that. Because I knew I was attracted to other boys at 11 makes it okay for some 50 year-old priest to use me like that? The homosexual taboo makes it doubly difficult for boys to admit sexual abuse, since they will not only suffer the indignity of the accusation itself, but the potential for being viewed as accepting or even inviting the unwanted advances.

 

[mlp]

That makes me so angry and sad, that you have gotten that response. There are really no words that are adequate.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I have been attracted to my own sex for as long as I can remember and the few times IRL that I have opened up about my childhood experiences to counselors and/or friends I have often been surprised to get this reaction from some: "But you already knew you were gay so what's the problem"?

I can't believe people would say something so idiotic!

 

[Digger]

Oh it's cool I wasn't looking for sympathy... I've made my peace with the Catholic Church via off-color humor and trying my best to bring down organized religion as a whole in any way I can.

 

[mlp]

I know you weren't looking for sympathy.

 

[Digger]

Recent testimony in the trial makes me wonder how much Sandusky's wife knew...

Not looking to blame her for what happened, but how much did she knowingly cover-up for her husband? At least one victim screamed from the basement and those screams went unanswered. How could she not know what was going on? Her (old) husband invited young boys to spend hundreds of nights at their house collectively, during which he escaped their own bedroom to sleep with them. How does a woman not know that something is going on? Just asking.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/jerry-sandusky-victim-screamed/story?id=16561876

 

[mlp]

I think she knew, in the way most women have to know that their SO is raping their kids, when it takes place over a long period especially.

That's one thing I could never wrap my head around, the way so many women stand by their man, even when he finally admits it, and even when it's their own children who have been raped.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I can almost understand if it was a woman living last century in a position where she felt that she couldn't leave because she couldn't earn her own money or if she was being raped and threatened by the man herself but it still sickens me.

 

[Digger]

It will be interesting to see how the defense counters all of this.

 

[Forster]

I can almost understand if it was a woman living last century in a position where she felt that she couldn't leave because she couldn't earn her own money or if she was being raped and threatened by the man herself but it still sickens me.

Shame and denial.

 

[cornsail]

I know we have due process and all, but that man is guilty as ****. With so many accusers and witnesses, he's going to be convicted.

Yup. I tend to lean on the side of the defense in a lot of these trials that become major news stories, but this one seems to be well beyond a reasonable doubt of guilt.

 

[cornsail]

Is anyone going to face charges for covering this up / knowing about it and doing nothing?