Rally To Add Hate Charges In Torture Case

(AP)  Hundreds of people gathered at West Virginia's Capitol on Saturday to urge prosecutors to add hate crime charges against six white people charged in the beating, torture and sexual assault of a 20-year-old black woman.

Authorities say the accused, three men and three women, held Megan Williams captive for days at a rural trailer - sexually assaulting her, beating her and forcing her to eat human and animal feces.

"Hate crimes are out of control in America," Malik Shabazz, a legal adviser to Williams and her family and a founder of Black Lawyers for Justice, told the group. "Nooses are being hung and our women are being raped by white moms. What happened to Megan Williams was a hate crime and we want this prosecuted as a hate crime."

Shabazz pointed to statements from suspect Frankie Brewster and her son, Bobby Brewster, that racial epithets were used every time Williams was stabbed.

Shabazz staged the rally despite a request by the city's black ministerial association and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People not to gather because it could harm the prosecution's case.

Logan County Prosecutor Brian Abraham has not filed hate crime charges in the case saying the other charges already filed carried harsher penalties. A hate crime conviction carries up to 10 years in prison in West Virginia. All six face kidnapping and sexual assault charges. Kidnapping carries a possible life sentence.

Abraham, who urged Williams and her family not to talk about the case or attend the rally, has said it might be difficult to prove a hate crime charge because Williams had a "social relationship" with one of the suspects for at least several months before the alleged assaults.

Williams attended the rally wearing a T-shirt with the message "Protect the Black Woman." In a brief speech, she showed her appreciation to her supporters.

The Associated Press generally does not identify suspected victims of sexual assault, but Williams and her mother agreed to release her name.

Joe Marchal said he drove three hours from Berea, Kentucky, with his wife and infant son to show his support for Williams.

"If no one came out today, imagine how that would make Megan Williams feel," said Marchal. "We're here for her."

In addition to calling attention to hate crimes, organizers hoped the rally would help raise money for Williams' medical care and future educational expenses.

Zayid Muhammad, the national minister of culture for the New Black Panther Party, came to the rally from Newark, New Jersey.

"As a father of a daughter and a child of African ancestry, the idea that I can sit by idly, (in) the face of one of the most violent and obscene acts committed against a black woman in my life, was too appalling," Muhammad said. "I had to come."

The Rev. Al Sharpton had been expected to participate but did not appear.

[michellem99-2009]

Gramma, IT is 3 times here if they do crimes against the handicapped and seniors, WA state. I live in WA state.

[korinsha]

Hate crime or no, the rally is doing nothing except hurting the prosecution in the case. The reluctance to call it a hate crime is NOT race-based, so settle down all you right-fighters (who only care about being right, and not about Miss Williams) and take a deep breath. The reason they''re not prosecuting as a hate crime is because they have to prove it''s a hate crime, which will stall the prosecution because there''s a legal snag: Miss Williams was associated with one of the abusers prior to being held captive and tortured. The defense can argue no hate crime occured and tie up the process. So, instead, the prosecution seems to be opting for NOT giving the defense a wobbly leg to stand on, and going straight for the throat, so to speak. Don''t confuse legal manuevering with a civil rights issue. Try explaining that to the people hurting the prosecution''s case and giving the defense fodder for bias and mistrials and whatnot. Keep at it! Use the poor victim all over again, if it makes you feel morally superior to "white devils". (So... lame)

[rickstas]

These people all deserve life in prison. If making it a hate crime only allows two lives in prison, then I guess one is enough, provided they serve it out.

[klingon69]

put aside your vanity and white pride and realize it is another lie fed to you by the blonde hair blue eyed devil who had his rear end cast out.
Posted by pariah3 at 04:07 PM : Nov 05, 2007
I''ll put aside my pride, when you put yours aside.
So, the devil made them do it?

[pariah3]

good to see that ignorance is still alive in america. for those of you who are claiming this is not a hate crime, or hate crimes don''t exist or that this is a rare case it''s past time to pull your head out of whatever hole you''ve been hiding from reality in.
a crime can be motivated by racial hatred. It''s past time people faced facts. If you want everyone to cooperate and be "american" then its time america faced up to its citizens taking part in genocide against nonwhites. put aside your vanity and white pride and realize it is another lie fed to you by the blonde hair blue eyed devil who had his rear end cast out.

[cavalrycpt]

A crime is a crime...priod. Bringing race into it doesn''t increase anyone''s sentence. There is no such thing as a "hate crime" if it is simply based on race. All it does is create a deeper divide amongst americans. Why can''t we just be that, Americans, without clouding it with BS heritage and ancestory. All of you on both sides here need to look for our commonalities not our differences. We can not discriminate based on color in our society. So why should the courts be forced to do so by the local media? Especially when the media is focused on skin color instead of the crime. Gunownerdan...maybe one day you will wake up and post something relevant to these stories.

[kes25-2009]

It always amazes me to see all the Sharpton/Jackson comments raised with every issue that is headlined by a black person. I think it must be a case of love by hate. You hate to see are hear from them but can''t get away from invoking their names whenever a story is headlined by a person of color. Makes one think there''s a little envy involved!

[godseyesore-2009]

The "family" photos say it all.

[extremophil]

Al Sharpton didn''t need to show up. His clone did.

[prinzowhales]

The selective reporting of news by the CBSNBCABCPBSFOXCNN network on inter-racial crimes is designed to keep black people feeling victimized and white people feeling guilty...the same game is played with Jews vis-a-vis non-Jews...The exception to the rule is in areas like Los Angelese.

In LA, blacks are being murdered for being on the wrong side of the street. Terry Anderson, black radio personality and anti-illegal immigration activist speaks out against this...It doesn''t get much mileage with the network--just as the violence on the Tex-Mex border is played down...

Violent black on white crimes--such as the rape, sodomizing, torture and murder of a young white couple in Tennessee a few months ago gets little or no national coverage...while the lies of a black prostitute against the Dukies goes on forever.

The evil ridge-runners who abused this poor girl deserve to have the roof fall in on them...but lets never forget the agenda of the media as an arm of the oligarchy that wants people to remain divided because of race, creed and colour...because divide and conquer is one of their tactics of control.