According to a press release I was recently sent a copy of, there will be a claim filed against San Mateo County for failing to protect a young sex abuse victim.
Crime Victims United of California and Marc Klaas will join with local legislators for a rally/press announcement about the claim that will be filed against San Mateo County, asking them to re-open a previously dismissed child molestation case.
According to the press release, CVUC President Harriet Salarno said this in response to a recent article in the San Mateo Daily Journal about sex offenders in San Mateo County not being properly monitored:
“[...] the truth is that only 10% of children are abused by strangers — the greatest risk is from people they know and trust, as is what happened in this case. Yet in San Mateo County, it appears children are not being protected from predators either inside or outside their own homes. It’s unconscionable and the DA should be ashamed.”The specific case that this action relates to is the case against Anthony Sadek, which was dismissed after irregularities were found in the toxicology test results of the accused's wife. As these cases often are, the details appear to be complicated and not at all straightforward. However, the dismissal of the charges is apparently related to the complication in testimony of the victim's MOTHER, not the victim. This is where CVUC feels that the ball was dropped. Read some more background about this case in the San Mateo Daily Journal.
It IS a complicated matter, but I agree that it's important to separate out the complications with the victim's mother and deal with those issues separately, and the victim needs to have a chance at justice. According to the San Mateo Daily Journal article, The District Attorney's office says that they re-evaluated at the time of the complications, and apparently decided that they could not win the case.
Either way, I feel that on the whole, child sex crimes are not given any real priority in San Mateo County, and someone DOES need to start digging to fix the problem. When you look at the news in recent past, you'll find articles time and time again about San Mateo County judges and prosecutors asking for and doling out very lightweight sentences to criminals who have molested or engaged in sexual relationships with young children. Many of these (including cases with full sexual penetration) do not even result in the perp having to register as a sex offender.
It seems that no one is interested in the actual damage done to victims of these crimes, and I know that they're walking around feeling that not only were they betrayed by their families and/or people they trusted, but that even the legal system does not consider their often life-long suffering and struggles to be worthy of more than a slap on the wrist to the perps. While unintentional, the message that is being sent to these victims by San Mateo County is that children are there for the sexual whims and enjoyment of adults.
So if you want to go to the "rally" and probably get a chance to hear Marc Klaas and others speak, Here's where you go:
Crime Victims United of California / Marc Klaas News Conference
Superior Court/South Branch
400 County Center, Redwood City
Outdoor Courtyard
Monday, August 9, 2010: 11:00am PST.
San Mateo County: Come Have Sex with Our Children.
Hear, hear. To your eloquent post I would add this: For more than 20 years Ayres had contracts with the juvenile courts. Why hasn't the private defenders group in San Mateo or the DA's office shown the slightest interest in looking at the juvenile cases where Ayres - who testified as an expert or evaluated the boy?
ReplyDeleteDoesn't anyone care whether these cases were tainted by Ayres' involvement?
In Alberta, where psychiatrist Aubrey Levin - who like Ayres, had a contract with the courts - has just been charged with 21 counts of sexual abuse of his male patients, the justice department in that province is reviewing every single court case in which Levin was involved, to see if there was a miscarriage of justice.
Seems to me that somebody in San Mateo needs to lift a finger for the juveniles who were evaluated by Ayres.
It seems as if Melissa McKowan and Steve Wagstaffe have experienced a few failures of late on a professional level. The one thing I have issue with is they want to say they did the best they could. I am finding that harder and harder to believe. Do these people have kids? Doesn't seem like they advocate for anything. I don't want to be critical but there is more to what's going on here than meets they eye, just my opinion.
ReplyDeleteP.S.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of respect for Marc Klass. Very grateful he is attending the rally.
I would caution people to be careful about jumping on this bandwagon. While there are so many failures in the San Mateo (and the rest of this country's) courts, we all must be careful about judging those about whom we know nothing. I laud the work of all those who protect the innocent, but the zeal of the passionate is also easily manipulated. In this case it may very well be that accused is actually the innocent one. When we all learn the truth, the good-hearted will regret our premature judgment.
ReplyDeleteWARNING WARNING WARNING
ReplyDeleteI just read the complaint referred to in this article. It’s not online but it’s on file at the courthouse. What the Journal reporter didn’t emphasize enough is that the woman in this case is accusing the DA’s office, and in particular Ms. McKowan of perpetrating “fraud” upon the court. The result of this could be that Melissa’s career is ruined, and she can be fired and disbarred!
To all fellow victims out there who know how tirelessly hard Ms. McKowan has worked to bring us justice: I fear if we lose her, then the game is up for good in the prosecution of the good Dr. Ayers.
Without debating the merits of this piddly case, we must look at the bigger picture!
Why Crime Victim United and Mr. Klass got involved, well who knows. But with the law of unintended consequences, if they press on this case, Mr. Klass and CVU could end up being the destruction of what so many have worked so long and hard for: the prosecution of Ayers.
I only wish CVU and Mr. Klass had done their homework better and thought about the ramifications of their actions- the saddest, ultimate irony is that a bunch of people who claim to be for the victims will in the long run cause so much more harm than good.
To Anonymous at August 5, 2010 1:14 PM
ReplyDeleteOf course I'm sure you noted that I was rather neutral about the particulars of this case.
The ayres case has been a long and hard case, and I certainly would not like to see McKowan removed from the case. I would like to see the DA more vocally back the efforts, and provide additional resources.
I question your motives for posting here:
You make the implication that you are a victim of ayres and yet:
1. I'm surprised that a victim of molestation would call another (alleged) victim's case a "piddly case." In fact, I'm more than surprised, I'm saddened as well.
2. You seem perfectly able to throw a sentence or two together. Why then, in a case that is so personally important to you, did you misspell ayres' name? Twice.
I don't think the person who wrote the Warning Warning Warning has any ties to the Ayres case whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteWhat's up with that poster's misspelling of Ayres' name? Could the poster who purports to have gone to the courthouse to read the filing tell us more about the alleged incidents of fraud perpetrated by Mckowan? Do tell!
Some people in the news business suspect that the County is dragging its heels on the case because they're ambivalent about winning. Don't want to open themselves up to lawsuits that will surely come as a result of all those juveniles Ayres molested.
I actually think the case should be tried in another county, by another prosecution team. This case should have been a slam dunk ( see Blankenburg child molestation case in Ohio and Dr. Scott Strickland's in Portland)
Those in the news business in San Mateo are openly wondering why the County is dragging its feet on the Ayres case.
Please accept my sincere apology for misspelling Dr. Ayres name. Also please accept my apology if I seemed to imply I was a victim of his - I was not, but I was a victim of another crime in another case that Ms. McKowan prosecuted. I used "fellow victims" to attempt to covey my regard for victims of all crimes, not just molestation victims. And of course I realize it was dumb to refer to any case as "piddly" because to the people involved I'm sure its not. I meant no harm and I'm truly sorry.
ReplyDeleteIf they would revoke Ayres bail the case would move a lot faster.
ReplyDeleteI have an opinion, which is not judgement, just my thoughts.....
with that said, if Ayres had spent one minute in jail because his bail was higher he would not be doing his best to delay his trial.
Ayres has received special treatment (in my opinion).
I feel the County needs a backbone, I have not seen it.
San Mateo County could benefit from looking at what child advocates, lawmakers and the citizens of Delaware did after pedophile pediatrician Earl Bradley was arrested there last December.
ReplyDeleteThey investigated the doctors who suspected Bradley was molesting children but didn't report him; they're investigating the agencies who dropped the ball when victims came forward to say Bradley had molested them, and they've just passed 9 bills containing dozens of provisions designed that include real punishments for doctors who fail to report their colleagues for child abuse.
San Mateo - especially the private defenders group- has done nothing to look at their own role in failing to protect the victims of Ayres.
To my mind, the doctors who didn't report Ayres and Childrens Services who failed to conduct proper oversight on Ayres are just as culpable.
But three and a half years to try Ayres? Come on? There are a half dozen pedophile doctors who have been arrested since Ayres and they've all been convicted.
I still say San Mateo County is ambivalent about convicting Ayres because of their own culpability and the good old boys network that covered for him for so long.
And I say they do need a new prosecutor on the case.
There is not just "one" prosecutor out there who can get the job done on Ayres. There are many prosecutors who can get him convicted. The trick is finding the right one who can.
ReplyDeleteI agree that San Mateo County is reluctant to get a conviction. They're damned if they do and damned if they don't.
ReplyDeleteThey want this to drag on and on and on just like Ayres does, everyone hoping that Ayres dies first so that no one has to deal with the fallout either way.
It would be more delays if McKowan is removed from the case, but ultimately, as long as the public stays on top of the case, the county WILL have to finish it, McKowan or not... I think what the need is MORE prosecutors added and out of state witnesses. We need a judge who won't just continue to shrug her shoulders and continue to allow delays. We need a county who's citizens give enough of a crap to stop voting for perverts and their friends for public offices.
One of the key elements here is the false test results from the lab in Texas. I don't know if that is the fraud on the Court allegation or not. Wagstaffe has commented that he doesn't think that is a crime. I think if you hire a lab to produce a false result to help your case it is a crime.
ReplyDeleteSan Mateo County needs Oversight of all Elected Offices.
I am supportive of this action. I will be there Monday.
Michael G. Stogner
Here we go again:
ReplyDeletePediatrician in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada arrested for molesting 11 year old male patient. Police say that since the arrest, they have received numerous tips on Dr. Daniel Marshall:
http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/817115
Love the new photo montage on the header!
ReplyDeleteThanks PA! Not quite as scale-ish as I was planning, and not quite enough Gilliam-ish, but I think I sneaked quite a bit of content in.
ReplyDeleteבַּחֲשַׁאי
Its a real shame that this case is dragging on for so long. I was a victom of ayers in 1975 after being referred to him by my pediatrician who happened to be my father. In 2005 he settled a civil suit from a patient, since then victoms are coming out of the woodwark. If the statute of limitations did not apply there are many more victoms that would be testifying against him. If anybody out there is still thinking he is innocent, I know for a fact he is guilty.
ReplyDeleteDavid G.
ayres is a perv who like play with 12 year old boys dicks. But he just fondle. Anybody involved in this case should check out his travel records. I bet he went on sexcapade junckets to placs like India or Thailand where he could really get busy and fulfill his perverted desires.
ReplyDeleteThat isn't all he did, unfortunately.
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