Teen forced to coparent w/ rapist after he sues for visitation rights? (MA)

[elehhhhna]

A teenage girl is suing a US state for allegedly forcing her into a legal relationship with her rapist.

The unnamed victim from Massachusetts was aged 14 when raped at her home in 2009 by Jamie Melendez, 24, who was then 20, before she became pregnant and eventually gave birth to his child.

The rapist, who had met the schoolgirl at a church youth group in Norfolk in the state, was sentenced to 16 years' probation and later ordered to pay $110 a week in child support to her by a family court.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2399756/Teenage-girl-sues-Massachusetts-forcing-16-year-legal-relationship-rapist.html#ixzz2chsldTJX
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[boston bean]

1. This shit physically disgusts me.

No one, I mean no one, female or male, should be forced to co-parent with their rapist. This is ass backwards....

I don't care whether or not the rapist has to pay child support. The victim, has a right not to have herself or her child meeting a rapist once or twice a week for visitation.

[MADem]

2. The rapist was trying to cut a deal to trade off not having to pay

child support for not getting visitation. He doesn't care about the kid, he just wants to keep his cash so he's playing games to make that happen.

The victim wants a criminal restitution judgment as opposed to "child support" and visitation-- I hope she gets it.

The guy committed a crime and he doesn't deserve any consideration.

[GeorgeGist]

3. This would make a good episode of ...

Law and Order: WTF

[alittlelark]

8. I was thinking 'Dexter'.

[SummerSnow]

4. The RightWing nuts would give their full support to the rapist

cause you know this was gods plan

[Nuclear Unicorn]

5. I'm guessing they would be interested in his immigration status and advocate the DP.

[exboyfil]

6. Probation for a rape?

He knew the girl since she was 11. This is one sick puppy that should not be walking the streets let alone have unsupervised access to another child.

The problem was that he was not ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the criminal court. Could she sue in civil court to get a judgement equivalent to the child support payments and then sever all parental rights? Let the civil court work towards collection of the judgement.

The laws need to be updated to ensure that those who father children with minors do not have parental rights but still have a financial obligation.

[Thav]

7. He raped a 14 year old girl and has unrestricted access to a child?

This guy should be on the worst list of the sex offender's registry. But that's an aside.

This situation would be akin to forcing an attempted murder victim to have some "reconciliation" time with their assailant.

Rape is a very serious, very violent crime. Rapists should never have court-ordered access to their victim, that's cruel and unusual punishment for the victim.

[magical thyme]

9. It's Massachusetts. Therefore not surprising to me.

And don't think it's rightwing-think. They protect sex offenders and apparently rapists too. It's more likely the "poor rapist had a hard childhood" mentality than anything else, ime.

I'm serious. I was driven out of the state by a registered sex offender who moved into the condo above mine and decided he wanted to stick his dick in me. I had the gall to say no. Over and over again. For years. He and his gang punished me by harassing me for 3 years, 24x7. They shoved porn under my door. I couldn't enter or leave my condo without walking through a crowd of them yelling taunts at me. The would pound on their floor (my bedroom ceiling) randomly throughout the night to keep me from sleeping for weeks at a time.

The condo manager told me to "be nice to him. He's had a hard life." She also removed the video camera he had trained on my car and the mirror on a pole that was aimed at my bedroom window, and then denied they existed.

The police told me I should leave town because they couldn't protect me. They weren't allowed to tell me he was a registered sex offender. They said, "We have a file on him an inch thick and a mile long. And that's all we are allowed to say."

I sold everything and moved a few states away.

[BrotherIvan]

11. That's horrifying!

I'm sure it must have been difficult to move and start over again, but I am so glad you are safe. A friend of mine disappeared because of a stalker. We heard from her five years later. We didn't know what was going on, just that she moved she and her three children across the country. I'm so glad she did because the sister of my coworker was killed by her ex-boyfriend stalker. I wish there was some way to protect women from these maniacs. The police do nothing.

[Capt. Obvious]

10. Courthouse News Service (8/21) is the only report on this case

Daily Mail used CNS, and HuffPo (only 2 reporting on this) used Daily Mail.

This was a national news story last year. What's covered here offers nothing new other than that the victim is now suing the state in Federal court to overturn the trial judge's order that the rapist pay child support. Rapist in turn sued for visitation rights in an effort to do away with child support. Victim sued to have rapist pay fine in lieu of child support. State court upheld Trial judge ruling.

The title of this "news" story is to stoke the outrage again.

[elehhhhna]

12. She is suing NOW. Try to keep up.

Also, wtf?

[Capt. Obvious]

13. Here, let me quote myself

What's covered here offers nothing new other than that the victim is now suing the state in Federal court to overturn the trial judge's order that the rapist pay child support.

Try to keep up.

[elehhhhna]

14. wtf about the editorial shit you were compelled to say?

You can hide the thread if it bothers you that DU agrees that rapists should not have parental rights.

[Capt. Obvious]

15. You can put words in my mouth if you like

And I can offer "editorial shit" if I like.

[elehhhhna]

16. yet not elaborate on it

got it. bye!

[Capt. Obvious]

17. *yawn*

bye!

[nomorenomore08]

18. I'm not big on violence normally, but if this "fellow" were to receive a bullet in the cranium

I would not be particularly bothered. Not just useless to the world, but actively harmful to those around him.