It just doesn't pay to be a rape victim nowadays....

[Lady Sidhe]

Defense attorney Hal Haddon had argued referring to the 19-year-old as a victim would impair jurors' ability to impartially consider the evidence. He suggested what he called more neutral terms such as "complaining witness" or "alleged victim."

"Until Mr. Bryant is acquitted, he is a victim, or at least, arguably is," Haddon said during a May 11 hearing on the issue.

"District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said the word has specific definitions under law that guarantee the woman compensation for certain expenses and therapeutic services.

"To strip her of that designation you would deny that to her and revictimize her," Hurlbert argued.

Prosecution spokeswoman Krista Flannigan said prosecutors' initial understanding is that they are now required to use "alleged victim" until the trial. She said prosecutors may ask the judge for clarification.

The Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief opposing the defense bid to bar "victim," said the ruling effectively continues a double standard for crime victims.

For example, spokeswoman Cynthia Stone said, someone who is mugged is called a victim from the time of the allegation."


That last paragraph is the important one, as I see it. Either EVERYONE who accuses someone of a crime is an "alleged victim," OR they're "victims." It can't just be "alleged" when one is accusing a high-profile figure of a crime. Does anyone actually think that if the accused rapist was Joe Blow that this would be an issue? I doubt it.


Sidhe