GUILTY NJ - Gregory Leary & others for sexual assault of 7yo girl, Trenton, 2010

[tlcya]

Maybe you mistake debate and analysis for compassion. Despite many less than perfect experiences in childhood, I have no "compassion" for this girl/sister/perp.

But as a survivor of abuse, I know all to well that silence is a molester's best weapon. I talk about abuse and its effect on people's lives not to try to garner attention or compassion for them but because I know child sex abuse would be greatly reduced in this country if it wasn't so shrouded in secrecy and shame. Every time I speak, write, or opine about it, it one less voice being silent, being heard. Every time it is discussed openly and honestly as a very real and present problem I feel I am doing my part to end the secrecy that makes it possible in the first place.

 

[Belinda]

That said, what I've been looking at and questioning is this teen's upbringing and live experience. Is she traumatized, was she exposed prenatally to drugs/alcohol, has she witnessed violence, was she born with any sort of cognitive deficit. Does she have a support system, an intact family, is she engaged in her education? All of these are important components of her life, mitigating factors IMO--not excuses--but mitigating factors. Just as a judge considers them, I also do.

Missizzy - These are excellent, probative questions. I, personally, didn't think you were giving her a pass. I do believe there can be and probably are some mitigating factors here. But, I also feel strongly that she knew what she was doing and did it willingly. I hope, at some point, that we might hear more information on her. We really are just taking shots in the dark, making suppositions based on the event itself, without knowing anything else. Sometimes, we are so angry that it is hard to look at the bigger picture. I have been trying to have an open mind about this, since reading some of your other posts on it, but I'm really struggling to do that with this situation.

I overcame much childhood abuse to become a reasonably good mother (I think, LOL). It wasn't my parents (that's for darn sure), it wasn't faith, it wasn't a role model. I can only credit my inner-strength and that I knew I wanted my adult life to be way different from my childhood. I was also lucky to have met the love of my life when I was 17, married him at 20 and was greatly loved and nurtured by his entire family. I have always felt that they sort of saved me, if that makes any sense.

 

[kbl8201]

tlcox.......i agree a 100 percent,
that is not the issue at all here..........i have nothing but sympathy admiration for you and all other abuse 'victims' and 'survivors' and im proud if you guys can all tell what happened. just the same, i understand when people can NOT tell too. and that is not the issue either.

people that are abusers is the issue.....whether they are young, were abused themelsves, were crack babies, or whatever.

 

[kbl8201]

i dont know about 'mitigation'. she didnt have any sypmathy for her sister, why should we have any for her? i know people dont like to hear that, but thats how i feel. throw the book at her

 

[Missizzy]

kbl--I was referring to the mind control used by pimps of young girls who are trafficked. Do some research and read what is involved in child trafficking, who the victims are, how tight the control is. Upthread, I posted several links concerning this.

I'm going to bow out now, folks. I try very hard to get my points across and sometimes I try too hard. If I get at all emotionally worked up, I pay with a nasty seizure. I paid that price last night so I'll move on. I've said what I felt needed to be said.

We'll have to watch how this plays out. In the meantime, once again, I urge each of you....beg you....to do something to reach out to a hurting child. Every tiny bit of kindness helps. Trust me on this one please.

(((hugs)))

 

[kbl8201]

this is the last thing i'll say on this too.

she may very well be controlled by a pimp for all we know, but unless we hear the pimp gave her marching orders i think its irrelevent to this particular situation.

ok shutting up now.

 

[tlcya]

aw, you guys. I am blessed to be a member of WS where our members are passionate and our opinions in all their diversity are not only tolerated but welcomed.

Group hug, lol

 

[slowbutsteady]

i dont know about 'mitigation'. she didnt have any sypmathy for her sister, why should we have any for her? i know people dont like to hear that, but thats how i feel. throw the book at her

I totally agree...she knew exactly what she was doing. I also think that once she got to the "party" and saw the "attention" the pervs were giving to her little sister, she knew she could make more money off of her. Strictly my :twocents:

 

[songline]

you can give kids (or adults) all the moral fiber possible and if they are just sick evil people it will not take.......

to me if you can do something like this, at whatever age, you had that in your nature to begin with. people do not just up and decide to sell there sister to be raped cause they themselves were abused.......

its why I'm totally blown away by the Jaycee and Elizabeth comparison.......whatever happened to them, whatever they endured, whatever they chose to run or not, they never did something like this.....

It often works the other way with a little sister, they get more protective.

 

[songline]

i dont know about 'mitigation'. she didnt have any sypmathy for her sister, why should we have any for her? i know people dont like to hear that, but thats how i feel. throw the book at her

:clap::clap::clap:GREAT POST

 

[songline]

this is the last thing i'll say on this too.

she may very well be controlled by a pimp for all we know, but unless we hear the pimp gave her marching orders i think its irrelevent to this particular situation.

ok shutting up now.

IMHO she is not controlled by any pimp...
She is running water in her veins instead of blood....
That is the sign of a sociopath and a narcissist.
Not saying she does not need mental help, because obviously she DOES.

 

[songline]

I do have to agree with you and that leap seems to happen almost every time a female offender is involved. Why do some seem to immediately assume that the female perpetrator was an abuse victim? I have read so much about sexual deviants and predators over the years and so many of them were never abused at all.

And really when it comes to the justice system what difference does it make? Using the excuse that they were abused... so therefore they can abuse others, in no way shape or form, nullifies the wrongdoings and actions taken by the offender themselves.

And somehow it makes me feel very uncomfortable and sad for the true victim in this case. There is no way in the world to rationalize away what her own sister facilitated. FGS! She allowed her own little sister to be repeatedly raped by these vile creeps and did it for financial gain which is all the more sickening.

I don't know anyone personally that has gone on to be an abuser of children because they were abused in their childhood. However I have attended more advocacy group meetings that I can count where those abused in childhood and are now grown or teens and they have one common trait. They are OVERPROTECTIVE when it comes to children. The ones I have known do not offer up small children like sacrificial lambs.

Children know right from wrong around the age of 7 or 8 and this girl knew exactly what she was doing as horrible and depraved as it was. She knew but IMO she just didn't care as long as it was profitable for her.

I hope they throw the book at her.:furious:

imo

GREAT POST :clap::clap::clap:
That is correct more people who have been abused are over protective.

Some who are abusive had been abused and are raging and raging instead of going for help. some dont belive anyon3e can help or cares.

 

[jjenny]

this is the last thing i'll say on this too.

she may very well be controlled by a pimp for all we know, but unless we hear the pimp gave her marching orders i think its irrelevent to this particular situation.

ok shutting up now.

I already posted a link to an article where the sources say the alleged attack on a 7 year old was not planned. I certainly don't believe anyone asked this 15 year old to bring 7 year old child to this party.
Once the 7 year old was there, with a bunch of men, and we all know what was alleged to have happen. So what difference would it even make if there was a pimp or not? The 7 year old wouldn't be in harm's way if she were not at that party, IMO.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I totally agree...she knew exactly what she was doing. I also think that once she got to the "party" and saw the "attention" the pervs were giving to her little sister, she knew she could make more money off of her. Strictly my :twocents:

I must agree. I have no compassion for this offender. I just don't and am not going to pretend that I do. I see it as two separate issues anyway.

Whether or not she suffered abuse in her childhood does not and should not IMO, enter into the criminal justice system she finds herself in today. It was her own actions that brought her where she is today and frankly I am glad that this was exposed quickly. Had she had time to threaten or bribe her little sister then it may have become another case of a small child being repeatedly prostituted out year after year.

She should be held fully accountable for the depraved and reprehensible acts she did. Now when, and if she is convicted, and I hope she will be, then when she is incarcerated they can begin to see if she was abused as a child and if it had anything to do with the crime or not.

There simply is no excuse in the world that will rationalize away what she did to her own small sister. Frankly it strikes me she did all this without any attachment to her sister at all but used her as a commodity instead to get what she wanted and that mindset is very dangerous for all the small children out there that tend to look up to their older siblings.

imo

 

[tlcya]

I had heard on a newcast that the 15 year old and the 7 year old were not biologically sisters but one belonged to mom and one belonged to dad from previous relationships. There also was mention of younger children who where the biological offspring of both mom and dad.

I wonder if there was resentment from the older sister of the younger, stepsiblings? PErhaps thats why she wasn't protective.

 

[kbl8201]

but the 7 year old didnt resent her.....until now i guess

 

[tlcya]

True kbl, sadly the 7 year probably thought big sis hung the stars and the moon. Probably why she was so worried about sis and went with her to the "party". Little sisters always want to tag along with the older siblings they look up to and idolize. Big sisters usually resent it (in a normal, lets not have my sister raped kind of way).

I was just wondering, how much you have to hate or resent your stepsister to put her in that position? An awful lot I would guess.

 

[believe09]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100408/ap_on_re_us/us_teen_sister_sex

Mr. Lord states emphatically that the rape did not happen. That there will be no forensic evidence.

The police disagree and they have collected DNA evidence.

He's a defense attorney, this is a very charged case, so I will give him some kind of latitude although to me he is approaching pond scum with his remark.

What I cannot fathom or forgive was his statement regarding all of the boys/men who have been charged:
"These boys are victims of their own hormones," Lord said.

Come again? This might go down in the annals of crime as one of the most despicable things I have ever, ever read.

 

[Belinda]

Holy crap! The boys are the victims? That is a new one on me. Poor little things, being forced to rape that little girl by those awful hormones.... Egads.

 

[kbl8201]

ok looks like we have something else to talk about................OMG. Victims of there hormones?

SERIOUSLY??????????? grrrrrrrrrrr