Apologetic Rapist To Be Released

(AP)  A man who confessed to raping a woman as he apologized two decades later as part of the Alcoholics Anonymous program is scheduled to be released from jail after serving six months of an 18-month sentence, officials said Wednesday.

William Beebe, 42, pleaded guilty in November to one count of aggravated sexual battery for his attack on Liz Seccuro while at the University of Virginia. In March, a judge ordered a 10-year prison sentence with all but 18 months suspended.

Seccuro was shocked when informed Tuesday by Beebe's parole officer of his impending release. She said she was never given the opportunity to speak to the parole board.

"Everywhere in America I've seen, the victim has a say," Seccuro said. "And that's the problem — rape victims are voiceless."

Virginia abolished parole for all crimes committed after 1994, but because the crime occurred a decade earlier, Beebe is a candidate for early release. He has a projected release date of Sept. 17.

"He only got 18 months on a plea deal, so according to the time that was computed under the old system, this is when he was eligible to be released," said Barbara Woodhouse, Department of Corrections spokeswoman.

His parole officer declined to comment Wednesday, and a message left for a representative of the parole board was not immediately returned.

"If Virginia is so very proud of the fact that there is no statute of limitations on rape, then the sentencing has to follow suit," Seccuro said. "All I ever wanted was for the people who were responsible to be held accountable — but to be held accountable properly. And I don't think this is proper."

Prosecutor Dave Chapman said that although he knew Beebe would be eligible for parole, a release date after just six months is surprising.

"It is an excellent illustration of why the abolition of parole was appropriate, advisable and sensible," Chapman said.

The case was revived in 2005 after Beebe, of Las Vegas, wrote Seccuro a letter of apology in an attempt to atone for the 1984 fraternity party assault as part of the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step recovery program.

The program's ninth step calls on alcoholics to make amends to those they have harmed — unless doing so would cause further injury. In an exchange of e-mails that ensued, Beebe wrote: "I want to make clear that I'm not intentionally minimizing the fact of having raped you. I did."

Seccuro, 40, of Greenwich, Conn., eventually called Charlottesville police to report what had happened. There is no statute of limitations on felonies in Virginia.

Beebe had originally been charged with rape and object sexual penetration and could have received life in prison. But in November, he entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge after investigators uncovered information suggesting Seccuro was attacked by more than one person that night.

Seccuro was given a drink at the party that made her feel strange, and she later passed out, leaving her memory hazy. She said she vividly recalls being attacked by Beebe, but always had a vague impression she'd been assaulted by additional members of the fraternity.

Authorities had hoped Beebe could assist them in their investigation, but prosecutors said he gave them no helpful information. Last month, officials told The Associated Press they had exhausted all leads, and the case has stalled.

Seccuro went public with her name and story, hoping to lead other sexual assault survivors to seek help. She launched STARS — Sisters Together Assisting Rape Survivors — to raise money for rape victims and their families.

[childofeos]

CALCASA

Advocating Justice, Empowering Minds, Strengthening Spirits, Training Leaders, Changing Lives

The California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) provides the unifying vision and voice to all Californians speaking out against sexual violence. CALCASA%u2019s leadership at both the state and national level brings support, justice, and hope to victim/survivors of sexual assault, and to those who work to eradicate this pervasive problem in our communities. The needs of sexual violence victim/survivors as well as the prevention approaches designed to stop sexual assault, guide CALCASA as it works to impact public policy, educate the public, and provide resources to all those working to end sexual violence.

Seek Help: Myths and Facts, Rape Myths
By Gillian Greensite
http://www.calcasa.org/34.0.html

[childofeos]

Myth: Women don%u2019t rape.
The invisibility of lesbian relationships and the romantic myths about women%u2019s inherently gentle nature has made it difficult to accept the reality that women can force *** on their female partners or acquaintances. This myth also suggests that a woman could never sexually assault a male because of the difference in strength and power.

Fact: Women are sometimes sexual aggressors.
Much more attention is being given to same-gender rape than in past years. Accurate statistics are difficult to find, but as more research is done information should improve. Although all rape survivors have much in common, there are particular issues involved in women raping women that need careful attention. Often, in a relatively small lesbian community, privacy is difficult. Other people%u2019s reactions become a big issue. Heterosexist assumptions on the part of those in a position to help can also be a problem.

Women raping men is rare, but not unknown. Most situations reported involve a woman assailant in conjunction with a male assailant, a group of women targeting a male victim, or a woman exploiting a male%u2019s inability to resist because of too much alcohol or other conditions.

[childofeos]

Myth: Men can never be raped.
The assumption in this myth is that men are always in control. Also part of it is the denial that comes with the fear heterosexual men feel about male-to-male sexual contact.

Fact: Men can be and are sexually assaulted.
According to U.S. Department of Justice statistics from 1997, an estimated 9 percent of rape survivors are male.(8) Their attackers are almost always other males. Sometimes the man who rapes another man is heterosexual and homophobic, and the rape is an expression of the contempt he feels for the other person, whom he views as not being sufficiently masculine in appearance and behavior. In other cases, the assailant is indiscriminate in his choice of a male or female victim. In all cases studied by Nicholas Groth and Ann Burgess, %u201Cthe sexual assault was an act of retaliation, an expression of power, and an assertion of their strength and manhood.%u201D(9) The survivor in such sexual assaults is not necessarily, nor usually, gay.

There are different problems for men than for women after rape. Expectations around masculinity assume that rape is an impossibility. Gay men have particular fears about reporting, especially in conservative communities. It is important that male rape has been acknowledged. As more men are willing to talk about being raped and offer help to other male survivors, the trauma of the aftermath of rape for males will be eased.

[childofeos]

Myth: Women provoke rape by the way they dress or the way they flirt.
This myth suggests that men wouldn%u2019t even think about rape were it not for women acting ***. It expresses the belief that it is up to women to draw sexual boundaries. It suggests that men can%u2019t (or shouldn%u2019t have to) control their sexual appetites. It justifies the use of violence as a result of sexual arousal. It confuses rape with ***.

Fact: Men rape women because they can get away with it. Women%u2019s dress and behavior are not the cause.
There is no correlation between who is raped and the clothes they are wearing or their flirtatious behavior at the time. Women of all ages are raped. They are usually going about their everyday activities or simply interacting with someone they know. Rape is an expression of power and control. A man might justify his raping by pointing to the woman%u2019s behavior, but that is an excuse rather than a reason. It is a cruel irony that women are socially encouraged to be sexually attractive and seductive and then, if they are raped, are blamed for the other person%u2019s violent act.

[childofeos]

Myth: %u201CMen rape women because they are sexually aroused or have been sexually deprived.%u201D This myth serves as an excuse for male aggression, especially in a society where women are portrayed as the ones responsible for male sexual arousal. Witness the phrase %u201Cshe turned me on.%u201D It suggests that male sexual arousal is an uncontrollable urge that must be satisfied. It also suggests that a lack of access to sexual partners leaves no other choice but to rape.

Fact: %u201CMen rape women to exert control and confirm their power.%u201D The motives for rape are complex and varied but often include hostility against women in general, the desire to feel and exert power and control, the desire to humiliate and degrade, and in some cases the desire to inflict pain. Most men who rape have available sexual partners at the same time they are raping other women.(3) As Dr. Nicholas Groth has shown in his studies of imprisoned rapists, the sexual component of rape is frequently serving nonsexual needs for power, domination, and control. Men who rape usually regard women with contempt. They objectify women. They also regard with contempt any man who does not live up to the masculine ideal. These attitudes are constantly reinforced by the popular media. In a society in which objectification of women and hostility toward women is common, it is also common for men to ignore a woman%u2019s feelings and needs; they are basically not seeing her as a human being.

[childofeos]

Myth: %u201CMen rape women because they are sexually aroused or have been sexually deprived.%u201D This myth serves as an excuse for male aggression, especially in a society where women are portrayed as the ones responsible for male sexual arousal. Witness the phrase %u201Cshe turned me on.%u201D It suggests that male sexual arousal is an uncontrollable urge that must be satisfied. It also suggests that a lack of access to sexual partners leaves no other choice but to rape.

Fact: %u201CMen rape women to exert control and confirm their power.%u201D The motives for rape are complex and varied but often include hostility against women in general, the desire to feel and exert power and control, the desire to humiliate and degrade, and in some cases the desire to inflict pain. Most men who rape have available sexual partners at the same time they are raping other women.(3) As Dr. Nicholas Groth has shown in his studies of imprisoned rapists, the sexual component of rape is frequently serving nonsexual needs for power, domination, and control. Men who rape usually regard women with contempt. They objectify women. They also regard with contempt any man who does not live up to the masculine ideal. These attitudes are constantly reinforced by the popular media. In a society in which objectification of women and hostility toward women is common, it is also common for men to ignore a woman%u2019s feelings and needs; they are basically not seeing her as a human being.

[childofeos]

Myth: Only certain types of women get raped. It could never happen to me.

This myth suggests that those who are raped are promiscuous or have poor judgment. It implies that only young, attractive women are raped. It has racist and classist overtones. It serves to prevent some women from dealing with the threat of rape, and it increases the self-blame for others. A rape survivor who believes this myth may have a harder time healing from her own rape.


Fact: Any woman can be raped.

Women from the very young to the very elderly, women of all ethnicities, of all socioeconomic levels, and of all sexual orientations are raped. Although most studies show that the vast majority of rapes are committed against women under twenty-five years old, no woman is free from the threat of rape.(2) Women are raped because misogynist men take out their aggression on women in general. Women are not raped because they %u201Cput themselves in a dangerous situation,%u201D as is so frequently stated, or because they wore certain clothes, or because they followed a particular lifestyle. These aspects are highlighted only to further blame the victim and excuse the violent behavior of the aggressor.

[childofeos]

Myth: Men rape women because that is men%u2019s nature and biological role.

This myth says that men force women sexually because men can%u2019t control themselves, that men are subject to biological forces out of their control or that they are fulfilling evolutionary needs for survival of the species. This myth has widespread support and is even taught at the university level in some sociobiology courses.



Fact: There are many societies in which men never rape women.

We now know that rape is not universal. Men rape women in some societies and under particular conditions but not in all societies. This fact has been well documented by Peggy Reeves Sanday.(1) There are connections between a high rate of rape, the glorification of violence, the objectification of women, the encouragement of tough and aggressive behavior in men, and the prevalence of war. That the rate of rape is high in some societies and low or nonexistent in others suggests that it is behavior that can be encouraged or discouraged, depending on the values of the society and, in particular, the values connected to masculinity and femininity and the power relations between men and women. As Sanday notes, societies that regarded the roles of women and men as equal in status, even though different, were societies with little or no rape.

[frankie_gth]

Well, if googling and finding something equals fact, I've got a website for you. This is just another example of because someone said it, then it must be factual. Nationwide at that! What has been reported around the drink and drug has come solely from the "victim". If you have something other than a dozen nationwide reports quoting Seccuro, please share. We would be looking for an eyewitness, police reports, pics, and movies (with English subtitles if necessary). No more "because she said so". I'm typing real slow so that you won't be able to tell I don't really understand English.

[angelstar7--2008]

Frankie_gth, The rapist wrote the victim a letter 20 years later admitting he raped her. He also wrote several follow up emails answering the victim's questions of why he raped her. He did it.

[agnim]

"Agnim - your comments are repulsive and I hope that the rest of your country is not as backwards.
Posted by drew30319 at 09:04 PM : Aug 09, 2007"

"Your country"? LOL

In what you imagine to be 'backward' countries women get raped less; because those wiser women don't forget that they are the 'WEAKER SE.EX'.
Such wise women know that they should be less careless around young ***** men who are inclined have them, even if destructive drugs did not act as an added impetus.

What's repulsive are foolish females who run off at the mouth and help delude the young girls that they can ramp closely with boys; and they will get treated as one of the boys.

Those foolish females only serve the endangerment of young girls; and they should be made to shut the hell up!

Males are ALWAYS going to be the dominant gender; and females the submissive gender. This means that women have to exercise more caution and be less careless.
Because at the end of the day, men aren't getting raped by females.