Sunday, August 30, 2009
Sunday Reflection: The Failure to See Evil
18 years ago, Phillip Garrido kidnapped 11-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard in South Lake Tahoe, California. He raped her repeatedly, and forced her to live in a group of tents in his backyard. She gave birth to children at ages 14 and 18, and those children lived in the tents in his backyard, too. With the complicity of his wife, he got away with this for 18 years.
He was a registered sex offender on federal parole, with a high level of supervision. A parole officer visited the house twice a month, and had the ability to make unannounced inspections of any part of the property. Neighbors knew something was wrong. They even called the police, at least once reporting that it seemed there were children living in the backyard. The police did nothing.
How does this happen?
Perhaps, it is a result of the best part of us, the part that forgives others, allows for redemption, and tries to see the best in those around us. A case like this reminds me that a faith that does call us to do all that also challenges us to find a balance between those Christian instincts and the risk of allowing what happened to these children.
As a Christian who teaches criminal law, this is a balance I struggle with all the time. My career has largely been a struggle to live out the conflicting demands of Micah 6:8: To love justice, and show mercy, and walk humbly with God. And when I say struggle, I mean exactly that-- I do not have any kind of comprehensive answer, other than this: That at the least there must be some of both justice and mercy in the legal systems we create, and that the project of doing so is profoundly humbling.
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I wonder also about how like brainwashed she got from him? Like HOW HARD is it really to jump a stupid backyard fence? To TELL the neighbors.. She could have easily done that. It seems like they were creeped out by the family anyway BUT at some point she became his captor in her mind as well and she no longer like even thought it was possible to escape.
That kind of captivity how can you fight it? I think her life is just ruined completely just RUINED. It is soooo sad. These kinds of stories are why i don't even let Spencer go to the Men's bathroom alone at McDonalds! If Bill is not with us I make him go into the women's one, and he hates it and tells me over and over that he is not a girl. Most of my fellow moms think this is extreme but I have heard too many stories about this kind of thing! You turn around and your kid is just GONE! Especially with a kid like Spencer who has truly never met a stranger... he will talk to just about anyone! It is so frightening.
I don't know why no one followed up on this guy or seemed to see any signs.
That kind of captivity how can you fight it? I think her life is just ruined completely just RUINED. It is soooo sad. These kinds of stories are why i don't even let Spencer go to the Men's bathroom alone at McDonalds! If Bill is not with us I make him go into the women's one, and he hates it and tells me over and over that he is not a girl. Most of my fellow moms think this is extreme but I have heard too many stories about this kind of thing! You turn around and your kid is just GONE! Especially with a kid like Spencer who has truly never met a stranger... he will talk to just about anyone! It is so frightening.
I don't know why no one followed up on this guy or seemed to see any signs.
Perhaps we should recognize that there is a presumption of innocence until proven guilty in court, but law enforcement is better served to treat allegations with a presumption of guilty until proven innocent by the facts and circumstances of the investigation. This contrast appears between auditors and investigators. Auditors "Trust, but verify" data when conducting audits, whereas investigators verify then trust data.
Perhaps a parole officer that assumes that his parolee is doing something wrong would have taken a bit harder look during the 18 YEARS he confined and sexually assaulted this young lady.
Perhaps a parole officer that assumes that his parolee is doing something wrong would have taken a bit harder look during the 18 YEARS he confined and sexually assaulted this young lady.
# posted by 
: 3:42 PM
: 3:42 PM
In my community, I think there is a strong tendency not to interfere in the lives of others. This may be because people fear being incorrect in whatever they may suspect, and don't want that to get back to the person they suspected (perhaps from fear of being sued, lawyers?).
I notice the same thing when people see others' kids behaving horribly (not in terms of tantrums, but in things like hitting, bullying, or showing general disrespect).
Few people these days want to "get involved." I contrast that to my parents' friends when I was growing up... you can be sure that if I acted up, their friends either got up in my grille or reported to my parents what I'd done.
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I notice the same thing when people see others' kids behaving horribly (not in terms of tantrums, but in things like hitting, bullying, or showing general disrespect).
Few people these days want to "get involved." I contrast that to my parents' friends when I was growing up... you can be sure that if I acted up, their friends either got up in my grille or reported to my parents what I'd done.
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