Thank you very much for your response, I appreciate your comments.
The DA I spoke w/ today said it's not out of the question - we do have some evidence and other material that would definitely help us. The problem is the witnesses, he thinks, are not that credible. He thinks they are not that credible because one is my mother (who was charged w/ neglect) and the other is the person I told the crime to, whose child also abused me. He also stated it would be difficult because there are a dozen other people that also abused me, although this man I came forward about (my mother's first husband) was the worst perp - committing this act night after night, year after year. He said the defense could easily argue that being as young as I was, it is not out of the question for me to have confused all of the men and abuse.
My mother was also beat my him, which when I explained this to the DA - his tone changed a little and I think thought it was worth looking into even further. No one has interviewed my mother - I only spoke to her when I found this person (Oct. 2004) and came forward about what he did. I believe the DA may schedule a time to interview her (via phone as she lives in TN).
There is also a Discharge Summary document from a group home I lived at in RI, that I was able to get a copy of. Part of this document included a medical review- findings from a physical I had when I arrived at the group home that showed significant signs of sexual abuse. I was told this is great for Discovery - as it proves I am not coming forward, 22 yrs later and just making things up.
There's so much more that I could mention that makes my case worthy of trying, IF only we could get our hands on a few more things that could help w/ the reasonable doubt part of it.
The DA wanted me to get in touch w/ my sister. My sister slept in the same room with me and may have witnessed him taking me out of the room every night. My sister and I have NEVER spoken about any of our abuse but I'm pretty certain she would have witnessed this. He said even with her coming forward stating she witnessed this, he said the defense could manipulate it into something very innocent. He said if she saw me crying, or saw the actual abuse - that's very strong and would help us a great deal.
The other strong piece of this is that I remember very well (too well) many of the things he did. When I first went to the Uxbridge PD in MA to be interviewed, the detective drove myself and husband around the town. He had a book that referenced all the places my mother had lived back then. He wanted to see how much I could remember but not expecting much from me. Well, it turned out that I kept questioning one apt. building, becoming adament that there was something about it. He did not have that address on file and was trying to tell me the abuse must have happened somewhere else. When we got back to the station, I insisted he call my mother in TN. He did reach her and she told him we in fact did live there, with this man, for a few years.
He then asked me to draw what I remember the apt. to be and when I did, he was genuinely shocked because I draw it exactly the way it looks even today. He said he has been in there many, many times and I hit the nail on the head. Aside from this, I also gave him a very detailed description of what I recollect happened, down to 'props' and other things used.
I only explain some of this because I want to show why this is something the DA is on the fence about - why if I can come up with just that little bit more that MUST be out there, I can possibly convict a child molestor that has been out on the streets for 20 + years. After much research, I've learned that a person who sexually abuses a child as young as I was, doesn't just stop at one victim - their average number of victims is over 100!
I am confident I am not the only one he's done these horrible things to, therefore it is imperitive that I finally put an end to this criminal's ways. I need to stop him from hurting anyone else, and make him pay for the childhood he so selfishly and violently stole from me. I need to give him back all the pain and suffering I've been carrying for so long now. There's a long road ahead of me but I have a supportive husband and a great network of friends that love every bit of who I am, good and bad.
I do appreciate your feedback and apologize if I wrote too much, especially if some of it wasn't relevant. My head is spinning from everything, and again - I'm just so desperate to do what I can to see justice served. I have come this far - I'm not giving up without a fight.
Thanks once again!
CdwJava said:
Even if they can still technically prosecute, what kind of evidence do you expect a PI to find after 22 years? Unless he bragged about it to people, saved a token of the encounter, or admits to committing the act, a prosecution is next to impossible.
I don't want to throw water on your fire, but the truth is that prosecution is not likely. If the DA is not actively pursuing the matter, hiring a PI is simply going to cost you a LOT of money. The DA has resources a PI does not have - including the ability to subpoena records. And if the DA is not commiting his o rher resources to the investigation, that would tell me that they don't see it as a viable case. They will likely accept anything you spoon feed them (even though it could be challenged in court more easily than info from the police or the DA's investigator), but if they aren't doing it themself they don't feel confident enough to commit the resources to this.
Believe me, I understand your desire to see your abuser face justice. But, the simple fact is that this is nearly impossible without the things I mentioned above. You likely face the possibility of thousands of dollars in PI fees with a very small chance of the case even going to court.
Sorry.
- Carl