THIBODAUX, La. – The man suspected of being a serial killer had been accused of rape on two occasions before the killing of his alleged first victim, but he never stood trial, newspapers reported Saturday. Ronald Dominique was indicted on nine counts of first-degree murder earlier this month. Held in lieu of a $9 million bond, he has yet to enter a plea.
In 1993, a Houma man told Thibodaux police that Dominique tied him up and raped him at gunpoint, but an officer chose not to make an arrest, the Daily Comet and the Courier newspapers reported. In 1996, a Thibodaux man went to the same police officer with an almost identical account, but while Dominique was arrested and jailed, he was released three months later without prosecution.
If men think that ineffective investigations of rape allegations never impact their own safety, this case shows how wrong they are. It also shows in stark terms that women rape victims aren’t the only ones who have reason to be reluctant to report what happened to them.
In both of the reported rapes, the alleged rapist claimed that the sexual contact was consensual and even explained away his brandishing of a gun.
This case makes me wonder how much getting away with certain acts of violence emboldens rapists while the inadequate criminal justice response reminds them that rape survivors pose some danger to their continued violence.
We must do better for all victims and in response to all types, ages and genders of perpetrators.
(Crossposted at my blog, Abyss2hope)
This post is a feminist, pro-feminist and feminist-friendly only thread.
If you aren’t sure what that means, please read this before commenting.
There’s been quite a bit of research documenting that the only aspect of “punishment” that reduces crime is the liklihood of being caught. By failing to investigate and prosecute rapists, we’re leaving a hell of a lot of violent criminals out on the streets to rape again, and, we’re letting not-yet-hardened rapists know they may do as they like.
Can I also point out how much it pisses me off, in a story about how a serial killer is also a serial rapist, to refer to the first murder victim as the “first victim”?
And finally, how apalling is it that a police officer, hearing extremely similar charges brought against a specific person, doesn’t value even the second set?