Evading Justice: How Some Accused Rapists Avoid the Sex Offender Registry (News 5) May 23, 2018
“A months-long investigation into outcomes of rape cases in Cuyahoga County revealed dozens of accused rapists evaded Ohio’s sex offender registry.
“Our investigative team reviewed every case involving rape charges filed in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas from 2014 to 2016. We found close to one in five defendants charged with rape accepted what one local judge calls ‘factually baseless’ plea deals, and those defendants were not required to register as sex offenders.”
“…Stafford said the impact of ‘factually baseless’ plea bargains can be devastating for victims.
“‘Some feel re-victimized,’ she said. ‘Some survivors feel they didn’t receive validation. It minimizes their abuse and their experience and that the offender wasn’t really held accountable at all for the situation.’
“She said the deals also send victims the message that no one believes their stories and what happened to them was not a serious crime.”
Continue Reading: Evading Justice: How Some Accused Rapists in Cuyahoga County Avoid the Sex Offender Registry (News 5)