Rapists Get a Pass in Knoxville: It’s Her Fault

After a sheriff got a get-out-of-jail-free pass for raping a young girl, another long-time rapist is getting a partial pass.

A suspected serial rapist drew the maximum sentence allowed under the law in his case Thursday, but neither the prosecution nor the investigator nor supporters of the victim applauded.

After all, David Freeman Clay might have faced hundreds of years in prison but instead only qualified for a sentence of nine years and six months for what police and court records allege was a torturous attack Clay allegedly has repeated time and time again.

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A presentence report, KPD records and documents from Clay’s native Chicago show that he has been repeatedly accused of taking women hostage and raping them in torturous ways for hours at a time.

Yet, he has never had a rape conviction. On occasion, he was charged with rape and kidnapping but took a plea deal that netted him convictions for assaultive behavior rather than sexual attacks.

Fear and shame stopped some of his victims from testifying. This has always been a problem, especially when defense attorney used the victims sexual history against her, which has had a resurgence as a popular defense, regardless of Rape Shield laws.

The other reason this rapist was never convicted of his crimes:

Sometimes, as is the case of the woman whose alleged attack was at issue Thursday, Clay successfully convinced a jury he was only partially to blame.

Wait a second…a woman is dragged into an abandoned building, hog-tied and raped repeatedly over 12 hours, and it’s HER fault? This isn’t logical reasoning, it’s simple brutality that is not being acknowledged by juries.

I can’t help but wonder what the hell is wrong with Knoxvillians on these juries that buy into it’s a woman’s fault in the first place. Being brutalized is not something a woman “wants” or deserves at any time. Shame on them for ignoring this.

PS. The 53rd Carnival Against Sexual Violence came out today, check it out at Abyss2Hope’s pad.