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Ear to the Ground

Rape Victim Jailed and Denied Contraception

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Posted on Jan 31, 2007

A rape victim in Florida was thrown in jail for two days when police discovered a warrant accusing her of failing to pay restitution for a theft she committed as a juvenile. A jail worker, allegedly motivated by religious convictions, then refused to give her a crucial dose of the morning-after pill.

Seattle Times:

A woman who told police she had been raped was jailed for two days after officers found an old warrant accusing her of failing to pay restitution for a 2003 theft arrest.

While she was behind bars, according to the college student’s attorney, a jail worker refused to give her a second dose of the morning-after contraceptive pill because of the worker’s religious convictions.

The 21-year-old woman was released Monday only after attorney Vic Moore reported her situation to the local media.

“Shocked. Stunned. Outraged. I don’t have words to describe it,” Moore said. “She is not a victim of any one person. She is a victim of the system. There’s just got to be some humanity involved when it’s a victim of rape.”

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By Gene Ayres, February 3, 2007 at 12:58 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

America has more people imprisoned than China and India (or in fact the rest of the world) combined. And much of it has to do with racism, but also cultural bigotry of the very kind that led Mao to his purge of 30 million Chinese during the Cultural Revolution. Add this kind of righteous and violently hypocritical religious zealotry and there is little difference between these so-called Christians and the Afghan Taliban.

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By Polly Ester, February 1, 2007 at 5:02 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

To say it simply and concisely--SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE!

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By Needler, February 1, 2007 at 10:49 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

The rape victim should sure for torture and kidnapping.  She should also sue for pain and suffering.  The nitwit who wouldn’t give her the morning after pill should become the surrogate for her unborn child--implanting it by court order--if its so darned important (and the woman is indeed pregnant). That person (who denied birth control) is nothing but a pimple on the hindside of that bastion of hypocracy called religion.  See how religion poisons people?  They don’t know when to stop torturing a person who has been the victim of a crime.  There’s your morality nitwits!  Please, could Florida just fall into the ocean (when my parents are visiting NJ)?  Preferably when Dubbya Cheney is visiting his brother Jeb.  They could all be in the same place at the same time--imagine!!  I have a dream....

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By Jim Yell, February 1, 2007 at 9:12 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

I believe she is a victim of an individual and of a growning conceit amongst the religious that they may take a job that deals with the public at large and make decisions contrary to the rule of law and the rights of those they deal with.

We have pharmacies refusing to fill Rx’s, we have Dr.’s refusing to give care. They should all have their licenses revoked and be forbidden to work in any area giving them authority over other people. Not to do this is to allow abuse.

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By faith, February 1, 2007 at 9:05 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

America has over 7 million people incarcerated.  One out of ever thirty two Americans has either been in jail or on probation (AP). 
The unions for prison guards have grown very powerful and continue to do so.  Why?  Most guards earn well over $100,000 a year and they support their unions. That means increased Power and effective lobbying. 
What does it say about a culture and country that prefers to spend its dollars placing people in prisons than educating and feeding its poor.  A nation that prefers to send kids to prison instead of placing them in interdiction programs.  Go to jail, you have a record for life.  That translates to tremendous difficulty with getting future employment. 
So you ask do I believe that prison guards could be so inhumane as to withhold medical treatment for a rape victim?  Consider the routine jokes made about our citizenry that go to jail and are raped in prisons/jails.  Camera surveillance that would observe behavior on both sides of the cell bars would be an extremely small cost, less than $25/per camera.  Is America interested in saving its people and making them productive citizens?  It appears that is only for the affluent..

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By Charlie Kasnick, February 1, 2007 at 8:43 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

If your religion keeps you from doing your job,Then Get A New Job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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By Druthers, February 1, 2007 at 7:57 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

This poor girl was not only a victem of rape, a horrible trauma, but of bigotry, and the ruthless indifference of retarded humans.

These public officials should be severly punished.

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By Wayne Smyer, February 1, 2007 at 3:30 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

With a Govenator like JEB Bush, What do you expect? Justice?

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By Ron Ranft, January 31, 2007 at 11:03 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

So if she winds up pregnant and does not abort maybe the person who refused her a second dose of the after morning pill and and the police who arrested her should have to pay for the child’s care and raising and then a good college education to boot. This is what happens when you do not have people working for the system that can use their brain. And this idiot who put their religious beliefs before the welfare of another human should be fired. If your religious beliefs conflict with doing your job, go get a job that doesn’t.

And did anyone ever investigate her claim of rape? Did she get taken to a hospital to have a rape kit prepared?

I see a very large lawsuit in this and the money needed for important things will be spent to cover the asses of incompetents who were “just doing their duty.”

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By Polly Ester, January 31, 2007 at 7:37 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

It figures that it would happen in Florida—-home of Jeb Bush and the Terri Schiavo case, and Katherine Harris’ pregnant chads.

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By Quy Tran, January 31, 2007 at 7:32 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Where’s Jebb Bush ? He’s busy with preparation for running to the Whore House !

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By mary eakle burley, January 31, 2007 at 7:04 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

This is a horrible case of Stupidity on the part of the police..but most of all, in all probability clerical error...For this old arrest information to still be viable..when in all probability was cleared..and the information was not processed in the record.

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