Comments on: How to be a friend to an accused serial rapist http://www.henkimaa.com/2009/10/09/how-to-be-a-friend-to-an-accused-serial-rapist/ Mel's home on the web Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:30:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sue http://www.henkimaa.com/2009/10/09/how-to-be-a-friend-to-an-accused-serial-rapist/#comment-586 Sue Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:56:29 +0000 http://www.henkimaa.com/?p=4340#comment-586 Perhaps my expectations of Alaskan bloggers are so high because I am a frequent reader of AKMuckraker, of Shannon Moore, and of Celtic Diva. IMO, they are largely responsible for helping President Obama win the election by searching out and publishing facts about Sarah Palin. God bless them! : ) Perhaps my expectations of Alaskan bloggers are so high because I am a frequent reader of AKMuckraker, of Shannon Moore, and of Celtic Diva. IMO, they are largely responsible for helping President Obama win the election by searching out and publishing facts about Sarah Palin. God bless them! : )

]]> By: Steve http://www.henkimaa.com/2009/10/09/how-to-be-a-friend-to-an-accused-serial-rapist/#comment-585 Steve Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:42:34 +0000 http://www.henkimaa.com/?p=4340#comment-585 Sue, do you have some information that Mel should have? I'm pleased to see that you have such high expectations of bloggers. As Mel said, and most other bloggers would second, we don't advertise ourselves as investigative reporters. We are more often like opinion piece writers - taking some piece of news and exploring what it might mean from different perspectives. Mel does this as well as any Alaska blogger - probably we could put her attention to detail and objectivity among the best examples in the US. All her comments were carefully qualified. You challenge her, but you don't offer any evidence to show she might be in error. If you have such evidence, please share it. Sue, do you have some information that Mel should have? I’m pleased to see that you have such high expectations of bloggers. As Mel said, and most other bloggers would second, we don’t advertise ourselves as investigative reporters. We are more often like opinion piece writers – taking some piece of news and exploring what it might mean from different perspectives. Mel does this as well as any Alaska blogger – probably we could put her attention to detail and objectivity among the best examples in the US. All her comments were carefully qualified. You challenge her, but you don’t offer any evidence to show she might be in error. If you have such evidence, please share it.

]]> By: Mel http://www.henkimaa.com/2009/10/09/how-to-be-a-friend-to-an-accused-serial-rapist/#comment-584 Mel Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:26:58 +0000 http://www.henkimaa.com/?p=4340#comment-584 <b>Background:</b> Why I believe it's likely Rollins is guilty. 7/15/09. <a href="http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=10733465" rel="nofollow">Anchorage cop sexually assaulted 6 victims, police say</a> by Ted Land (KTUU Channel 2 News). <blockquote>An Anchorage police officer was arrested Wednesday on charges he sexually assaulted six women during a three-year period while on duty. And police say there could be more victims. Officer Anthony Rollins, 41 and a 13-year veteran of the department, was suspended April 16 when the first allegation surfaced. Standing Together Against Rape, a local advocacy nonprofit, contacted the department's Special Victims Unit to report a possible sexual assault. Upon further investigation, the unit found five more victims that alleged being sexually assaulted by Rollins. The Anchorage District Attorney's Office presented a case to an Anchorage grand jury Tuesday and Wednesday, and the jury indicted Rollins on four counts of first-degree sexual assault, six counts of second-degree sexual assault, four counts criminal use of a computer, and six counts of official misconduct.... <snip> Anchorage police started their investigation in April when STAR came forward on behalf of a victim. "This investigation started as the chief described on April 16 and proactively went backward where the police contacted females with whom Officer Rollins had had contact," Anchorage District Attorney Adrienne Bachman said. In total there are ten counts of sexual assault involving six women. Court documents show the first case happened in 2006. The rest occurred last year and this year, all while on duty.</blockquote> It's very common for sexual assaults not to be reported, particularly when they involve an authority figure like a police officer -- many victims feel like they won't get a fair hearing from other police officers. In fact, APD should be commended for their handling of this case: without their proactive investigation after STAR alerted them to the most recent alleged assault, they would not have learned of the additional five women who report having been raped by Officer Rollins. As has been widely reported, Alaska has the highest rate of sexual assault in the U.S. For more info, see <a href="http://justice.uaa.alaska.edu/directory/s/sexual_assault.html" rel="nofollow">Sexual assault</a> (resources) at the UAA Justice Center website. Background:

Why I believe it’s likely Rollins is guilty.

7/15/09. Anchorage cop sexually assaulted 6 victims, police say by Ted Land (KTUU Channel 2 News).

An Anchorage police officer was arrested Wednesday on charges he sexually assaulted six women during a three-year period while on duty. And police say there could be more victims.

Officer Anthony Rollins, 41 and a 13-year veteran of the department, was suspended April 16 when the first allegation surfaced. Standing Together Against Rape, a local advocacy nonprofit, contacted the department’s Special Victims Unit to report a possible sexual assault.

Upon further investigation, the unit found five more victims that alleged being sexually assaulted by Rollins.

The Anchorage District Attorney’s Office presented a case to an Anchorage grand jury Tuesday and Wednesday, and the jury indicted Rollins on four counts of first-degree sexual assault, six counts of second-degree sexual assault, four counts criminal use of a computer, and six counts of official misconduct….

Anchorage police started their investigation in April when STAR came forward on behalf of a victim.

“This investigation started as the chief described on April 16 and proactively went backward where the police contacted females with whom Officer Rollins had had contact,” Anchorage District Attorney Adrienne Bachman said.

In total there are ten counts of sexual assault involving six women. Court documents show the first case happened in 2006. The rest occurred last year and this year, all while on duty.

It’s very common for sexual assaults not to be reported, particularly when they involve an authority figure like a police officer — many victims feel like they won’t get a fair hearing from other police officers. In fact, APD should be commended for their handling of this case: without their proactive investigation after STAR alerted them to the most recent alleged assault, they would not have learned of the additional five women who report having been raped by Officer Rollins.

As has been widely reported, Alaska has the highest rate of sexual assault in the U.S. For more info, see Sexual assault (resources) at the UAA Justice Center website.

]]> By: Mel http://www.henkimaa.com/2009/10/09/how-to-be-a-friend-to-an-accused-serial-rapist/#comment-583 Mel Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:07:55 +0000 http://www.henkimaa.com/?p=4340#comment-583 P.S. I'm not, nor have I ever pretended to be, an "investigative journalist." P.S. I’m not, nor have I ever pretended to be, an “investigative journalist.”

]]> By: Mel http://www.henkimaa.com/2009/10/09/how-to-be-a-friend-to-an-accused-serial-rapist/#comment-582 Mel Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:52:14 +0000 http://www.henkimaa.com/?p=4340#comment-582 Sue, I think I made it pretty clear that my questions about the motivation of his fellow church members are suppositions. I stated several times that <em>I don't know</em> their motives. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear enough before: everything I say about their motivations is my speculation based on their behavior as I have heard it reported. I think I also made it clear that based on what I have read of the case -- which includes articles in the Anchorage Daily News & on the websites of local TV stations (KTUU and/or KTVA), I think it's likely that Rollins is guilty. Even so, I leave it up to the judge/jury to decide: which is why I repeatedly used terms like "accused," "alleged," and so on. Sue, I think I made it pretty clear that my questions about the motivation of his fellow church members are suppositions. I stated several times that I don’t know their motives. I’m sorry if I didn’t make that clear enough before: everything I say about their motivations is my speculation based on their behavior as I have heard it reported.

I think I also made it clear that based on what I have read of the case — which includes articles in the Anchorage Daily News & on the websites of local TV stations (KTUU and/or KTVA), I think it’s likely that Rollins is guilty. Even so, I leave it up to the judge/jury to decide: which is why I repeatedly used terms like “accused,” “alleged,” and so on.

]]> By: Sue http://www.henkimaa.com/2009/10/09/how-to-be-a-friend-to-an-accused-serial-rapist/#comment-581 Sue Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:39:28 +0000 http://www.henkimaa.com/?p=4340#comment-581 Sadly, you have made assumptions not based in fact. The first is that you have assumed Rollins is guilty. In our country, he considered innocent until PROVEN guilty. Secondly, you have assumed that his fellow church members have shown him their support for "Christianist" reasons. Since you have not interviewed any of them to ask their motivation, this is simply supposition on your part. In addition, you have relied on a biased person (a source at STAR) for your second-hand account (from AKM) for the facts of what occurred at the hearings. Perhaps you should interview some objective observers and report their accounts of what happened. And you should definitely interview several members of his church to find out their motives for being there. That is, IF you are interested in true investigative journalism. Sadly, you have made assumptions not based in fact. The first is that you have assumed Rollins is guilty. In our country, he considered innocent until PROVEN guilty. Secondly, you have assumed that his fellow church members have shown him their support for “Christianist” reasons. Since you have not interviewed any of them to ask their motivation, this is simply supposition on your part. In addition, you have relied on a biased person (a source at STAR) for your second-hand account (from AKM) for the facts of what occurred at the hearings. Perhaps you should interview some objective observers and report their accounts of what happened. And you should definitely interview several members of his church to find out their motives for being there. That is, IF you are interested in true investigative journalism.

]]> By: sharon ogata http://www.henkimaa.com/2009/10/09/how-to-be-a-friend-to-an-accused-serial-rapist/#comment-580 sharon ogata Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:00:46 +0000 http://www.henkimaa.com/?p=4340#comment-580 this article personifies real justice. reasonable,clearly stated, and just. thank you, you should have taken justice Thomas' position on the court,w/sotomayer. this article personifies real justice. reasonable,clearly stated, and just. thank you, you should have taken justice Thomas’ position on the court,w/sotomayer.

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