Victim Blaming, Victim Shaming
Posted by Michelle Moquin on September 3rd, 2013
Good morning.
Men in power positions continue to blame women – the victim. You would think that from all of the backlash that men receive from blaming the woman, when she is the obvious victim in stated horrific scenarios, that men would stop blaming the woman. Hell no. It continues.
In Montana Judge G. Todd Baugh recently sentenced a 14-year-old girl’s rapist to 15 years and then suspended it to just 30 days in prison. Who cares, if hundreds protested in front of the court house. Who cares if tens of thousands signed a petition calling for the judge’s resignation. He’s sticking with his decision and he sees nothing wrong with it. He blames the 14-year-old girl, who he claims was acting “older than her chronological age” and “as much in control of the situation” as the 49-year-old teacher who raped her. Sick.
By the way, the 14-year-old girl ended up committing suicide 2 years after she was raped. She is not the only young rape victim who has taken her own life after being raped. Our young girls, who are the victims, are blamed and bullied when they need to be understood, supported, and cared for. The messages they receive is that they are the ones to blame, and that is something that needs to be stopped or boys/men are going to continue to rape and get away with it.
Here’s the write from Think Progress:
Judge Sparks Protests After Sentencing 14-Year-Old Girl’s Rapist To Just 30 Days In Prison
BY TARA CULP-RESSLER ON AUGUST 29, 2013 AT 5:40 PM
Judge G. Todd BaughCREDIT: Matt Brown / APA Montana judge who recently sentenced a 14-year-old girl’s rapist to just 30 days in prison is defending his decision, even as hundreds of peoplepicketed the courthouse in protest on Thursday. Although State District Judge G. Todd Baugh doesn’t see anything wrong with the sentence itself, he has apologized for his comments that the rape victim acted “older than her chronological age” and was “as much in control” of the situation as her rapist.
In 2007, a Montana teacher named Stacey Rambold raped a 14-year-old girl who later ended up committing suicide. On Monday, Baugh gave him 15 years in prison for his crimes — but suspended all but 30 days of that sentence. And when arguing the case, Baugh noted that the 14-year-old girl was acting “older than her chronological age” and “as much in control of the situation” as the 49-year-old teacher who raped her.
That sparked considerable backlash. More than 30,000 people signed onto a MoveOn.org petition calling for the judge’s resignation. “Baugh places the responsibility for the situation on a troubled child — one who committed suicide just two years later — and excuses the criminal actions of an adult who violated the ethical standards and trust of his community,” the petition reads. “Baugh has engaged in the worst kind of victim shaming.”
And members of the community rallied at the Billings, Montana courthouse on Thursday afternoon, holding signs demanding justice for the victim, Cherice Moralez, and calling for Baugh to step down. “The demand and goal of this is to ask the judge to resign. The broader message is to really unite as a community against victim-blaming,” the protest’s organizer, Sheena Davis, explained. Davis noted that the protesters hoped to address “a larger issue on how we protect children from rape in this justice system.”
The victim’s mother, Auliea Hanlon, called the sentence was a “travesty” and said she was “horrified.” Hanlon told CNN that she was particularly upset about the judge’s comments that Cherice was somehow in control of the situation. “How could she be in control of the situation? He was a teacher. She was a student. She wasn’t in control of anything. She was 14,” she said.
Baugh has since issued a public apology for those statements, saying he “deserved to be chastised” for suggesting that Cherice was actually in control. Since she was just 14 years old, the relationship between her and her teacher is considered to be statutory rape — and particularly since Rambold was abusing his place of authority, it’s inappropriate to insinuate that he and Cherice were on equal footing.
The Montana judge has defended his sentence, however, saying that he believes Rambold is at a low risk of becoming a repeat offender. The prosecution entered into a “deferred prosecution agreement” with Rambold after Cherice’s death — which means the charges against him would have all been dismissed if he had successfully completed a sex-offender treatment program and met other terms, like avoiding contact with children. But he broke some of those terms, and that’s why his case ended up before Baugh. The sentence ended up being rolled back to 30 days because Baugh determined the scope of infractions weren’t serious enough to merit more time in prison.
Unfortunately, Cherice is hardly the only young rape victim to take her own life. Earlier this year, 17-year-old Rehtaeh Parsons killed herself after her school administration ignored evidence that she had been raped and her peers bullied her. And 15-year-old Audrie Pott killed herself after being allegedly gang-raped at a party, during which boysscribbled messages all over her unconscious body.
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Readers: Thoughts? Blog me.
I HOPE everyone had a lovely Labor Day with friends and family!
Peace & Love…
& 
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September 3rd, 2013 at 1:43 pm
I wish to express my gratitude to; Vance, Henry, Zarani, Lacy, and Jack, Paris, Nate, Ahmed, Lloyd, Anonymous, Gereshk, and Larry, and to those who have helped input examples and research to my statement. There are times when one does not have the time to fully express the how’s and why’s with which one states certain bits of information, simply due to life…so, your inputs and added information to help exemplify my statement are welcomed given that I didn’t have time to get into all of the details…
Lewis, I urge you to read the book “All The Shah’s Men”. The reason there was a vacuum to be filled was created by the United States and their orchestrated takeover of the Iranian regime by the removal of the Iranian Democratic leader named of Mossadegh. The United States is good a creating unrest at it most basic chore in the civilian arena, both here and abroad. This machine of societal manipulation has been perfected by the US for over 100 years. You can also read the book “Overthrow” to understand how that machine has been perfected and created.
September 4th, 2013 at 8:55 am
That asshole is changing his tune now that he is about to lose his judgeship. He is now trying to give the creep two years.
September 4th, 2013 at 8:57 am
It’s been about the oil Doug. I get it.
September 4th, 2013 at 9:01 am
Where’s this outrage when the victim is male?
September 4th, 2013 at 9:02 am
If I was Rambold, I’d opt to remain in jail indefinitely rather than face the public after a month of jail time in view of the publicity this case has recently received.
September 4th, 2013 at 9:02 am
This man is so far behind times. This literally sounds like he’s using the “boys will be boys” attitude of the 1950′s.
September 4th, 2013 at 9:03 am
If the victim was a boy would any of you be shocked to hear the sentence…or would the comments be a little more light hearted.
September 4th, 2013 at 9:03 am
Im not picking size, just need more info on what all was presented in court, before making a final jugdment on the out come. Media doesnt doesnt give all detail- xplosion, parts unknown, United States, 8/29/13, 5:02 AM “”"”"”" All you need to know to make a decision is the girl, a student, was 14 and the teacher was an adult. Guilty on part of teacher. Case closed.
September 4th, 2013 at 9:04 am
This is a judge with a warped idea of justice and the interpretation of the law. The judgement he handed clearly shows that he felt, like a lot of people do sometimes, the victim asked for it.
He should be removed from the bench and the judgement overturned. Why did the school allow this guy to stay and teach if he had been reprimanded before? It’s disgusting that the kids at school made this girl’s school life a living hell.
I just don’t understand why instead of rallying around her, they made it worse for her. People hesitate coming forward and reporting a crime, here’s the reason why. Give this girl and her family the justice they deserve.
September 4th, 2013 at 9:07 am
One day the media will reassess how it views women; maybe then it will stop treating them as objects. Until then, this sort of sickening behaviour will go on.
September 4th, 2013 at 9:07 am
In the USA, there are two ways judges get their jobs: (1) get selected by a panel of Bar Association and political hacks, or (2) run in an election, which means joining a political machine.
The “debate” over judicial selection is between these two camps, as if there was no other possible way of choosing judges. Both processes are 100% political, and not surprisingly yield 100% political results: hacks like Judge G. Todd Baugh.
There is another way: give judicial job-seekers an objective test, a lot like a bar examination: high score wins. This system would not be perfect, but it would screen 99% of political hacks. Judging from the photos of Judge G.
Todd Baugh, I think such a method would keep society safe from him, Bar examinations are the accepted way of screening lawyers; there is no reason why tests should not be used to select/retain judges too. There would be a night-and-day improvement, and 95% turnover of the current political hacks.
September 4th, 2013 at 9:09 am
Wow, Maury, I think you win the stupid post of the Internet award for the day. At 14 she was a CHILD. Her brain was not fully developed and she was not mature enough to decide to have an intimate relationship.
As an adult, particularly one with authority over her, his crime is particularly heinous. He is a predator and he destroyed that child. There is no excusing or rationalizing that.
And there is certainly no defending his actions. This was 100% his fault. And if you don’t see that, then you are a fool and I hope you don’t work with children.
September 4th, 2013 at 9:09 am
Judge Baugh was elected, which should say something about the citizens of Montana. The legal age of consent in Montana is 16 Your Honor, not 14.
September 4th, 2013 at 9:10 am
This is about men again. They are still using us as if we are just another kind of sexual enjoyment only one that breathes.