01/18/2006

Vermont Child Rapist Case Leads Legislators Down Wrong Trail
recent sentencing of a Vermont child rapist/molester to a mere 60 days in jail has the nation in an uproar

MONROE, Va., Jan. 18 /Christian Newswire/ -- The recent sentencing of a Vermont child rapist/molester to a mere 60 days in jail has the nation in an uproar. Are lawmakers taking aim at the right issues in seeking to deter child sexual abuse or are they merely focused on a small number of offenders and victims? Many abuse survivors and child advocates think it’s the latter.

The judge who sentenced Mark Hulett — he admitted repeatedly raping and/or molesting a little girl for four years — said he wanted to give this reprobate an opportunity for treatment, which he would not receive in prison. The sentence also includes a lengthy probation and a mandatory treatment program to be completed after the 60-day jail term. Failing that, Hulett could still face life in prison.

While most people have been decidedly critical of the judge in this case, what is being lost in the rhetoric is the need to prevent the most prevalent kind of child sex abuse and to help its vast silent majority of victims whose perpetrators are rarely prosecuted.

The U.S. Department of Justice maintains that only 8 percent of repeat sex crimes — the mere tip of the iceberg — may be prevented when the offender seeks rehabilitation. Child advocates and counselors know that as much as 93 percent of child sex abuse is perpetrated by a family member or friend. Within this number is a vast, hidden iceberg of cases that go unreported because of the victims’ fear of a family break-up, disbelief or enabling by other family members or a confused love-hate relationship with their abusers.

If anyone can identify with such victims, it is Linde Grace White, author of "Dollbaby: Triumph Over Childhood Sexual Abuse" (Cedar House Publishers, 2005). Abused for years by her own father and enduring a family cover-up, White retreated into a protective cocoon of several "alters" or personas to help her handle life. "It took decades and a battle with severe depression for me to even remember the abuse, let alone have the courage to speak up and seek healing," White says.

Having found that peace, White now volunteers with VOICES in Action, Inc., an organization that helps childhood sexual abuse and incest survivors learn to overcome their past. As she travels about speaking, she gives her audiences a riveting account of her childhood and subsequent quest for answers. She also speaks out about what is not being done to help untold numbers of victims like her.

While many angry legislators around the country propose more stringent and expensive laws aimed at tougher sentences for convicted pedophiles and sex offenders, White asks why our tax dollars are not funding more educational programs that teach children and parents about safe environments and how to prevent sexual abuse. "This approach would get at the real problem and could seriously thwart the plans of many would-be predators," she says. Schools and churches are excellent places to sponsor such programs.

Every family is at risk, according to White, yet many that are victimized will be in denial or feel powerless to stop this epidemic that wounds one in four girls and one in five boys before they reach the age of 18.

For more information, contact Cedar House Publishers at 434-929-8002, via e-mail at info@cedarhousepublishers.com or on the Web at http://www.cedarhousepublishers.com/media.