Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

Dear editor;





In an article discussing whether law enforcement's failure to issue an
alert after a brutal rape in a Boston parking garage may have led to a
second rape by the same man in the same location 11 days later, two
absurd arguments are made, surprisingly enough, by the director of a rape 
crisis center.? 1. An alert might have compromised the
ability to catch the offender because he might change his M.O.? 2.
Notifying the public would have violated the victim's privacy.? 





Whether it's a murder, rape or robbery, capturing a criminal requires
widespread disclosure of all identifying information as quickly as
possible after the incident because he might be fleeing the
jurisdiction, and more importantly, he might be looking for another
victim.? Who cares if he learns that cops are onto him or that he
changes his M.O.?? Releasing information enables the public to be more
vigilant in self-protection and assist police with tips on sightings,
etc.? Moreover, if the guy thinks cops are looking for him - he might
actually restrain himself from attacking again.? It's the rapist who
thinks he got away with it who offends again and again.? 





And secrecy about such a brutal attack hardly protects the victim's
privacy.? Despite many detailed news reports about the attacks written
after the truth was finally released, it is impossible to figure out
the identities of the victims.? If we don't know who they are now, we
certainly couldn't have figured it out if cops had simply issued an
alert letting the public know what happened and where.? It is painfully
obvious that had an alert been issued after the first rape, the second victim 
would not
likely have been attacked by the same man in the same location.? It is
also clear that failure to alert the public was intended to protect
interests other than the well-being of women.? This point was missing
in the Globe's story.





Wendy J. Murphy


New England Law|Boston

617-422-7410