Reply #13: As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, I think life imprisonment [View All]

[Ladyhawk]

is the proper punishment. Strange as it may seem, children often have a relationship with their abuser and concern for the abuser's well-being. When the guy who molested me was finally arrested, I can remember feeling like it was my fault, that I'd got him in trouble by telling. The trial was bad enough. Had he been executed, it would have caused me much more trauma than I'd already experienced.

I'm not sure how the situation is handled these days, but making children testify repeatedly in court is abusive in and of itself. Muddying the issue is the fact that some children have actually lied about abuse, so I'm not sure how to fix this. I had to give the testimony so often I think it left me irrevocably scarred. Obviously the defense was looking for holes in my story, but all I knew is I hated it.

I've had a really rotten day, so this is all I have to say on the issue. My mind has had enough for one day.