George Zimmerman: Molestor?

[LSN80]

A 26 year old woman, identified only as "Witness #9", has accused 28 year old former Neighborhood Watch captain George Zimmerman, charged with 2nd degree murder in the February 26th shooting of 17 year old Trayvon Martin, of sexually molesting her. In transcripted audio recordings a judge ordered released to the public yesterday, the woman alledges that Zimmerman began sexually molesting her from the time she was 6(and he was 8) until she was 15 years old. The woman herself, whose name is being withheld, refused comment, but samples of her statement are as follows:

"He would reach under the blankets and try to do things and I would try to push him off. He was bigger and stronger and older. It was in front of everybody. And I don't know how I didn't say anything. But I just didn't know any better".

The timing of the accusations, along with the nature themselves, strikes me as odd. The woman came to the DA with them in May, shortly after Zimmerman was charged with 2nd degree murder in Martin's shooting death. These alledged accusations took place at their latest date 12 years ago, but they're somehow only coming out now? I find that especially hard to believe if they were taking place "in front of everybody", as the woman stated. Noone on either side of the family, over the course of 9 years of abuse, noticed a thing? I'm not saying she's lying, I'm just saying the way the facts are presented in this case are highly suspect. Not only did the woman refuse further comment or to be identified, her father refused comment and stated that no other family members would speak on the subject as well.

When the allegations were first put on the record in June, Zimmerman's attorney Mark O'Mara filed a motion to make the recordings inadmissable, stating they had no bearing on the case against Zimmerman shooting Martin. He noted also that the woman was Zimmerman's cousin, that the alledged abuse occurred at it's latest date 11 years ago, and could also cause widespread hostility against Zimmerman, making it impossible for him to get a fair trial.

But Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. said the following in ruling the recordings admmissable as part of the public record:

"This statement ... will simply be another piece of the puzzle to be relied upon by those who want to believe there was a racial motive to the shooting, and will be dismissed by those who claim that there was no such motive."

Trayvon Martin's family, through their attorney Benjamin Crump, released the following statement yesterday regarding the relevancy of the woman's testimony:

"The woman's testimony could be used in trial to show Zimmerman has a history of violence and manipulation. Zimmerman's mentality is very relevant to this trial."

With this I can agree. Racial motivation and profiling has been played up by the Martin camp as the reason for Zimmerman following, chasing, and shooting Martin, despite being told not to. Zimmerman has claimed that he shot Martin is self-defense, as Martin attacked him and was attempting to kill him. On Piers Morgan Tonight yesterday evening, Zimmerman's aforementioned attorney Mark O'Mara said the following regarding the statements made by the woman, and the trial in general:

"Now that this statement is part of the public record, the defense will vigorously defend Mr. Zimmerman against the allegations. There actually were some other events that happened in the family dynamics that we will get into if we need to. (S)he makes up allegations about sexual abuse, then also seemingly doesn't have any corroboration to them."

As I stated earlier, I also find the testimony and the lack of corroboration to be suspect, as one would think that if the abuse took place in the open like the woman has claimed, there would be witnesses. Still, the motivation for her, as Zimmerman's cousin, to lie, is a weak one. I'll withhold personal judgment until more facts come out, specifically those "family dynamics" Zimmerman's lawyer referred to.

Do you buy the woman's story that she was sexually abused by Zimmerman for 9 years?

Believe her or not, how does this impact Zimmerman's ability to get a fair trial?

Do these allegations have anything to do with Zimmerman's murder trial? Why or why not?

Any other thoughts or discussion of this story is more then welcome.

 

[Mustang Sally]

But Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. said the following in ruling the recordings admmissable as part of the public record:

"This statement ... will simply be another piece of the puzzle to be relied upon by those who want to believe there was a racial motive to the shooting, and will be dismissed by those who claim that there was no such motive."

Yeah, another piece of the puzzle. How that piece has anything to do with what the judge is calling a possible "racial motivation" is beyond my ability to understand. I see it as just another smear tactic attorneys will use to destroy the reputation of Zimmerman; a way of trying the case in the media before the actual court proceeding ever starts. In this case, the prosecution doesn't even have to do it themselves; the judge is admitting it as part of the public record.

I have no idea what will become of the Zimmerman case and have no leaning one way or the other as to it's disposition. Still, I can't see what bearing his actions as an 8-year-old could have on what's recently happened. How seriously are we supposed to take this woman's well-timed (for the prosecution) accusations? How accurate are her memories from when she was 6-years-old? How traumatized was she at the time? With all the relatives sitting and watching what appeared to be two little kids playing, how much responsibility falls to them for permitting these "molestations" to go on right in front of them?

Mostly, though, what does any of it have to do with the trial of Zimmerman?

Yet, juries being what they are, it might actually work. A juror might listen to the testimony and decide: "Well, if Zimmerman could molest his 6-year-old cousin, he's surely capable of committing first degree murder on a black man."

And so it goes.

 

[HBK-aholic]

A couple of things I think about this - first, I don't think it's that strange that this is only coming out now. There are many cases of sexual abuse where the victim only comes out about it years later, whether because they finally felt strong enough to do so, they had someone there supporting them, or an outside stimuli has made them feel it's necessary - your attacker allegedly commiting murder would certainly come under that. I understand people thinking this may be too much of a coincidence, but this doesn't necessarily mean this is a lie.

Second, her thought that it was 'in front of everybody' may not be strictly true, certainly not in the way our adult minds are thinking about it. This could easily be how 6 year old views having adults in sight, but who may not have been able to pick up on the possible touching 'under a blanket'. I mean, it obviously could not have been in front of everybody how we are picturing this - it wasn't a show he was putting on for them, but rather there may have been adults in the room/area and her 6 year old self thinks of this as 'safety' and having people around who should have looked after her.

Third, why would she make this up? From the looks of your post, 'no other family members will comment' - is her family on her side, or against? I'm guessing against, and she'll likely alienate herself from her family for this - why? Would could she possibly have to gain from losing her family and being made out to be a liar?

Fourth - this could, and maybe should be a part of this trial - he's not on trial for the sexual assault but the defence will make him out to be an honourable citizen without a mark against him, and no doubt have people testifying to that. The prosecution however will be saying he's shown signs of manipultion and not being the great citizen the defence is making him out to be - and this witness could attend to that. She could be lying - but so could those saying he's a great person.

I don't know what the truth is in the Zimmerman assault story, nor do I know what happened with Trayvon Martin, and neither does anyone else. There are a lot of unanswered questions though - and I doubt we'll ever know the ful truth.