Rapist questions victim in court -alludes that she did not try to get away

[The Straight Story]

Rape Defendant Questions Victim in Court
Written for the web by Elizabeth Bishop, Internet News Producer



A Sacramento woman who was kidnapped, raped, burned and left for dead in 2004 today faced the man accused of attacking her. The defendant, Daniel Harper, is acting as his own attorney and questioned the woman this morning.

In a seemingly random and often redundant series of questions, Harper asked the victim what she remembered of the attack and sometimes appeared to blame her for not trying to get away. At one point, Harper asked the victim how she made it to a road near Thornton after the attack.

"I was burned so bad, but I thought you were still around," the victim said. "I had to get out. I don't know how I did it."

Harper is accused of kidnapping the woman, a nurse in her 50s, from the parking lot at Mercy San Juan Medical Center in October 2004. Investigators said he forced her to withdraw money from an ATM and then took her to a remote area near Galt where he raped her and burned her. Harper was arrested in Citrus Heights after a high speed chase.

http://www.kxtv.com/storyfull2.aspx?storyid=15568

[FloridaPat]

1. That must have been hell for the victim.

[The Straight Story]

3. I amazed she sat through it without jumping out of stand & hitting him

Had she been my wife I think perhaps there would not be a trial where she had to listen to him :)

[AIJ Alom]

2. This should not be allowed. A rapist should not be allowed to be his own

defense attorney. And if this practice should remain the case, then the victim should be allowed to be the judge, jury, and executioner.

[LisaL]

4. That's just sick.

[bloom]

5. If it were up to me

there would be a law where defendants would not be allowed to question their accusers directly.

I don't think the system is set up right. It would make more sense for the victim to be questioning the defendant.

I know - if I were on a jury and the alleged rapist was giving his victim the third degree - it would piss me off - and not bode well for him.

[WePurrsevere]

9. I agree... it does seem very wrong. Rape is not just "sex" it's about

control and hurting someone so in a way, if this guy is the rapist, he is allowed to get his jollies from being in control and hurting her all over again.

Damn I give this woman a whole lot of credit for a yit load of inner strength. I don't know if I could go through what she is and not lose it totally.

[SPKrazy]

6. Blame the Victim Is Pretty Much Standard Defense

Sad and sick as that is, it isn't surprising at all.

No wonder victims often don't want to go to trial.

I'm a believer in innocent until proven guilty, it's just a shame that rapists get away with it so often, and then even when convicted sometimes don't get much actual jail time.

[philosophie_en_rose]

7. If he's going to question the victim, there should be limits.

The judge should carefully watch the defendant for threatening behavior. Allowing this kind of practice simply revictimized the victim and empowers suspects.

This is not to say that defendants should not be able to ask questions. However, it would be kinder to the victim and the defendant to have the defendant write his questions down for either the judge or the defense attorney to ask. The questions should also meet the same standards that are imposed upon attorneys.

[ismnotwasm]

8. Thank God she gets to have her son near her

I bet they both would like to strangle the bastard. It would be hard to maintain courtroom decorum in a situation like that.

What a holy hell of a thing to go through.

[DELUSIONAL]

10. This is sick -- if the jury doesn't convict him and throw away the key

. . .

[dsc]

11. Perfect example of that old saying

A man who acts as his own attorney has a fool for a client. I doubt Clarence Darrow could get this hideous man off but by beating up on her that way he alienated the jury about as much as humanly possible.