Former soldier tells military judge she was raped by Army officer

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--armyrape-trial-al0425apr25,0,6159322.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey

FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- A former New Jersey National Guard soldier testified Monday that she was raped twice within an hour by a fellow Army officer despite her attempts to fight off the attack in her barracks room.

Jennifer Dyer told a military judge that 1st Lt. Mike Hall forced himself into her room and tore off her clothes after she had tried to make him stop groping her in the barracks hallway.

But in cross-examination, Hall's defense attorney questioned why she sought no help throughout the attack, even when she got a cell phone call, and argued that Dyer made up the rape story to get out of the Army and avoid duty in Iraq

Dyer, 26, who has said she went public with her allegation after Army investigators doubted her story, accused Hall of raping her in August 2004 at Camp Shelby, near Hattiesburg, Miss. Hall, 35, from Nashville, Tenn., contends the sex was consensual.

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[Anarcho-Socialist]

1. "...why she sought no help throughout the attack"

As far as I know, the majority of rape victims freeze from shock when they are attacked. The defense attorney's argument is a disgrace.

[wicket]

2. you are absolutely correct

What they are trying to do is blame the victim, and it's infuriating.

[Bozita]

3. Yup, she musta been "askin' for it"

Why do I think I already know how this story ends?

[Ilsa]

10. Yeah, those desert sand uniforms are sooo sexy, aren't they?

This sickens me. I froze like a staute when I was raped. All I wanted to do was survive. SO I guess the military judge will tell her to be grateful she is able to be here, huh?

Maybe women should let men have all they want of the killing and getting killed for no damn good reason. (I don't really mean that.)

What I'd like to see is a few instances of fellow soldiers taking the rapist to the latrines for some good ol' boy justice, if that's really the military mentally.

(This makes me so angry.)

[One_Life_To_Give]

11. Reported Immediatly After

She reported it Immediatly after.

If there was not any details supporting her claim until months afterward. I would have to lend some plausability to this defence. But in my experience people don't have concensual relations and then five minutes later tell their CO they were assaulted.

Although this guy is probably the type the Army wants! The not too human type.

[LostinVA]

4. What do you expect when you have women in the military?

All they do is tempt the guys, so who can blame them if as so-called rape happens?

I am being heavily sarcastic here. I've heard these exact words from people I know who have been in the military. My BIL, an ex military intel officer is NOT one of them.

[EFerrari]

5. The power imbalance should null the "consensual" argument,

shouldn't it? :shrug:

[LostinVA]

6. And maybe when the cell phone call came in

He threatened her not to say anything, or probably he didn't HAVE to say anything. Women in our Armed Forces aren't properly taken care of of in many ways. From the way sexual assault victims are treated, to being kicked out as lesbians because they won't sleep with a guy, to not having enough gynecologists. It is an added disgrace on top of the way the government treats ALL soldiers.

[dhinojosa]

8. Need education: what is the power imbalance? nt

[EFerrari]

9. He was an officer. n/t

[dhinojosa]

7. Hey "support the troops"

I wonder if any of this case is going be masked because there is war going on, and the defense would inject some jingoistic lingo just the get the rapist free. :mad: