I am a freelance writer. Over the course of the past year and a half I have interviewed 60 prisoners in the New Hampshire state prison and assorted other county jails. All were convicted of sexual assault with a complete lack of physical or other corroborating evidence. These men were sentenced to outlandish prison terms. Most of the allegations were leveled by children, most of whom, being stepchildren or living with single mothers, were also suffering the effects of broken homes. Others were even outright developmentally delayed and some were, so-called, "recovered memories". No matter the victim, however, physical evidence to even substantiate allegations of a criminal act was nonexistent.
After interviewing the mothers/wives/sisters/daughters and other friends, relatives and lawyers, as well as reviewing arrest reports and trial transcripts when available, I have come to realize that a great tragedy has taken place - many innocent men have been convicted of crimes they could in no way defend themselves against. Remember, after all, in each case not only is there no forensic or corroborating evidence, but there is often no exact date or even reasonably exact date for the "crime", no evidence, even, that a crime was committed. Clearly a violation of traditional jurisprudence, as well as civil and constitutional rights.
Therefore, on Wednesday, August 14, 1996, at 10am over 100 friends and family of these wrongfully convicted men will meet in front of the state house in Concord, NH, to formally present Governor Merrill and the State of New Hampshire with a petition signed by over 1,000 citizens asking the governor, attorney general and legislator to investigate the unconstitutional, certainly un-American, nature of these prosecutions.
As an experienced journalist, I ask you in the media to come talk to those gathered on the steps of the capitol building any time after 10am on Wednesday, August 14. I ask of my fellow reporters to help expose the on-going "sex assault witch hunt", which has swept too many innocent men and women in its wake. Come talk with the mothers, wives, sisters, daughters and other supporters of these men and listen yourselves to the stories of lies, overzealous prosecutors, vindictive victim advocates and fractured families.
See for yourself what I have seen and would not have believed, myself, just one year ago.