RAPE: The criminal wins

How long do you think the 15-year-old girl who was raped will remember the attack? I’ll bet you it will be longer than 30 days.

That’s what Judge Meyer gave the rapist in jail for the premeditated attack. She said the decision was difficult and I’ll bet it was, especially coming from a woman judge. To be fair to the Judge, maybe there was a whole lot more involved that the newspaper article did not tell us. On its face it sure looks like he got off with a slap on the wrist.

I have no mercy for the defense counsel to use his own words “these are tender years.” You bet they are and the victim will remember it for years to come. His client was “remorseful.” Most criminals are after they have been caught.

Many people wrote letters of support for Harden. Do you think they wrote letters to the victim? I wonder if these same people would like to contribute to a fund that the victim will need for the therapy and counseling she will probably endure for a while.

Sure I am jaded. After 26 years years in law enforcement, it’s hard to have sympathy for the criminal and definitely no sympathy for men who rape. I’ve listened for many hours how the criminals play the system.

Now, if there was a whole lot more to this than the paper wrote, then my apology to the Judge.

GEORGE SILVA

Coeur d’Alene