Friday 10 June 2011

Same Old Story, All Over Again

TW for rape, sexual assault, victim-blaming and pedophilia

I might sound crass. I might sound unsympathetic. I might sound tired, or bored. I assure you I'm not, certainly not towards the victim. I just have to keep wondering how things like this are allowed to happen, over and over. The story plays like a broken record. A thirty-three year old man is accused of sexually assaulting a young girl. Louis McRae was a youth program coordinator at Joseph Brant Senior Public School in Toronto. He ran, or co-ran or whatever, the after school program. After school programs, as you may or may not know, are designed to keep youth out of trouble after school hours. As a result, predators flock to them. Especially predators with sexual assault records. And, true to form, in 2008-2009 McRae was charged with sexual exploitation and two counts of assault. Most likely involving a minor or someone significantly younger than himself, but details are unavailable.

Since Louis signed a peace bond, the case was closed. And since the case was closed, I guess that makes it all well and good for him to be hired on at a school and help run an after school program where he'd have access to vulnerable children. He found one, befriended her and built a relationship of trust, which he then violated without hesitation. Two counts of sexual interference and one count of invitation to sexual touching. Do these charges sound vague? Let me clear them up. Section 151 of the Canadian Criminal Code defines Sexual Interference: "If you are under 16 years old, it is a criminal offence for someone to touch your body for a sexual purpose with a part of their body or any object, directly or indirectly." From this definition, we know that the victim is a minor, and we know that McRae touched her. For sexual purpose. Already he should be fucking shot. 

Section 152 of the Canadian Criminal Code defines Invitation To Sexual Touching:
"If you are under 16 years old, it is a criminal offence for someone to invite, counsel or incite you to touch, directly or indirectly, their body, the body of someone else or your own body, for a sexual purpose (with a part of your body or any object)." This one is self-explanatory, I think, especially in conjunction with the previous charge. 

So, this pervert with a history of sexual assault and exploitation is allowed to get a school job with apparent unfettered access to youth and what does he do? No doy, he abuses them. Why the fucking FUCK do school boards let anyone with a criminal record near children, whether the case was closed or not? It defies logic! He was not proven innocent, he signed a fucking PEACE BOND! That's a goddamn get out of jail free card! What the fuck?!!? 

But of course, it gets worse, because we'd hate to assume this manly man is guilty, even if he does have a history of sexual abuse. Quote David LaRochelle, full-time school principal/douchebag and part-time rape apologist:

"While it is important to remember that laying criminal charges does not constitute guilt, and that a person is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, we also cannot and do not take these allegations lightly," 
No, he absolutely does fucking not take these allegations lightly, which is more then can be said of the allegations of three years ago, which McRae bought exemption from. Apparently those allegations get you a job at a school. But, of course, it's important to remember that criminal charges do not equal guilt. Unless you're not a white male, 'cuz then well, fuck you, I guess.

And here, another of my favorites, the anonymous neighbor quote:

"My kids always talk to him. He's very good. Always helping at playground, homework."

This from a "concerned parent" in the neighborhood, who is "surprised" by the allegations. You always fucking hear this. No matter what the crime, what the circumstances. People always say "He was a good neighbor, a stand-up guy, give you the shirt off his back, I never suspected a thing." This is what is allows things like this to keep happening. I'm not saying we have to suspect everyone, but why are people always so fucking surprised? Like they couldn't have possibly been living next door to a predator, he didn't even put up his neon pervert sign! The "Not My Nigel" attitude extends from ones' immediate relations to their neighbors and acquaintances in situations like this without fucking fail. "Jerry always took out the trash on Wednesdays! He just couldn't be a rapist!" I fucking hate that shit. No one says "Shirley was only thirteen years old and trusted this adult, she just couldn't be lying!" No, women and girls are always branded as having some ulterior motive when reporting sexual assault or rape and this has to stop. No woman or girl has ever "gotten rich or famous" from accusing a goddamn high school program coordinator of rape. She was abused. She wants justice for herself, and probably wants to put this guy away so he can't hurt anyone else. That takes extraordinary bravery, especially when living in a rape culture, where victims are all too often shamed to silence. The stupid reverberations of "Well I thought he was a good guy..." only serve to silence the victims' testimony and undermine her claims, as well as make her feel further victimized and isolated from the community that should fucking be rallying around her.

These things DO happen, and they DO happen all the time, and they DO happen in your neighborhood, and they DO happen under your nose but they DO NOT happen in a fucking vacuum. These monsters get away with these acts because people think that they would've known. That their neighbors couldn't have possibly eluded their sixth sense, their Holmes-esque intuition. This isn't a fucking game of Clue, people. This is the life of a young girl, of every young girl. Victim-blaming goes hand in hand with the "good neighbor" defense. It is in the interest of the children that we examine closely why these things keep happening and what will happen when we finally run out of "good neighbors" to believe.

7 comments:

  1. Thank you for your rant. I appreciate that some children have been sexually abused and should absolutely be supported in their disclosure of same...But (and I'm just saying) what if it is a lie...What if YOU were the subject of the allegations? Knowing that you were innocent, how would you respond? Would you take kindly to someone else calling YOU a RAPIST, SACK OF SH**! Keeping in mind, this is a father of five children, with no history of minor abuse...Despite your claiming that the peace bond MAY have been related to that. Do you really think the media would have left that part out of this story. I am truly sorry for the child if this allegation is true. However, will you be sorry if it's not?

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    1. I'm not playing this game. If this dude really is the 0.000001% exception to the rule of "Men that have power shalt abuse that power in order to abuse those they deem weaker" and that can be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, then fine, I'll say I'm sorry and I was wrong. But, if not, then why don't YOU question why this kind of thing seems to be on the rise, and why every single time it happens someone invariably comes out to say exactly what you've just said to me. Do you REALLY think that in this society of ours, saturated as it is with teen porn and hypersexualized youths for adult gratification, that these kids are LIARS? Get real.

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    2. So, you're saying that children NEVER lie. I am assuming, then, that you have none. The real issue in your blog seems to be your inability to be objective. You will note that I maintain objectivity. If this man is guilty,then he absolutely deserves to be punished; I am not debating you on that point. However, there seems to have been a shift in power where simply accusing someone is sufficient to ruin his or her life. I absolutely do not think that is fair. In response to your comment of "hypersexualized youths for adult gratification", all I can say is that pedophiles should definitely take one for the team-there is no cure. I am not, in any way condoning pedophilia or the exploitation of children. (I worked with socially disadvantaged children for years.) What I am taking objection to is painting everyone with the same brush. Why would a man work with children in this day and age? Children need a positive male role model, but false (if that is the case) accusations will definitely deter them. As for your "0.000001% exception, do you have a reputable reference for that?

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  2. I appreciate your comments. However, how would YOU feel if YOU were accused of a crime on the basis of someone else's word? Would YOU appreciate the benefit of the doubt until all the facts/circumstances had been investigated? And even then, it is faux pas in our society to challenge the word of a MINOR. Yes, there are children being victimized and this is clearly wrong. However, there are others that, as a result of their circumstance, will lash out at those who try to assist them. Troubled children, yes, but there should be a limit as to how much power they are given. We have become a society of entitlement and victims. If these allegations are true, then my sympathies go out to the victim. However, if they are simply the workings of a troubled young mind, my sympathies (AND YOURS) best belong with the man and his family (I understand he has five children). What if YOU were the accused?
    Would you appreciate these comments being posted about you? Or would you like empathy?

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    1. I'm not playing this game. If this dude really is the 0.000001% exception to the rule of "Men that have power shalt abuse that power in order to abuse those they deem weaker" and that can be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, then fine, I'll say I'm sorry and I was wrong. But, if not, then why don't YOU question why this kind of thing seems to be on the rise, and why every single time it happens someone invariably comes out to say exactly what you've just said to me. Do you REALLY think that in this society of ours, saturated as it is with teen porn and hypersexualized youths for adult gratification, that these kids are LIARS? Get real.

      P.S. You get the same response as the previous comment, as you asked the exact same question, and therefore I assume you are the same person, or some such nonsense.

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    2. It is not nonsense...I came back to this page the next day and discovered that my comment had not been posted; so, I simply changed my handle. I firmly believe that you are NOT open to any objective point of view on this matter. Perhaps, with all due respect, this is a touchy subject for you and your mind is (understandably) closed to opposing opinions.

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    3. No response? I guess my comments have left you speechless.

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