By Richard Ray:
Do you believe that women are given the same legal protections as men?… Think again.
Social injustices are not just limited to and against People Of Color (POC). Women as well as Transgender or Gay) people are often not protected within the full scope of America’s laws. By in large the laws created and enforced in the United States overwhelmingly on a national and local levels are done by Caucasian males. While there is more diversity in the judicial system then in the past, judges in most municipalities, and on the Federal level, are still (White) men. By definition this does not mean that POC and women cannot be treated fairly, but unfortunately history has shown far too many times, a lack of empathy and understanding for those not represent fairly in the creation and enforcement of US laws.
Case in point: It has recently been revealed that 27 year old convicted sex offender, Christopher Mirasolo has been awarded joint custody of a now 8 year old boy and his name added to the birth certificate after a DNA test revealed he is the biological father of the child. What makes the decision granted by Michigan judge Gregory S. Ross
so egregious is that Mirasolo was convicted of attempted third degree sexual assault of the child’s mother when she was twelve. The third degree attempted sexual assault conviction does not tell the full story of Christopher Mirasolo’s crimes in 2008 when he held the twelve year old and her 13 year old friend captive against their will for 2 days in a vacant home after throwing their cell phones away. He sexually assaulted them but plead and received a one year sentence, serving six and a half months before being released to care of this sick mother. A little more than a year later in March 2010 Christopher Mirasolo was arrested for sexually assaulting a victim between the ages of 13-15, serving four years for that crime.
I have seen some reported accounts of this story where the word alleged is still used to describe Mirasolo’s rape of the victim. How is it still alleged when a DNA test has conclusively proven that a 19 year old had sex and impregnated a then 12 year old… by any and all definitions of the law that is rape and it is conclusively proven by the DNA results… not alleged.
Mirasolo’s attorney does allege that he did not initiate the custody proceedings. Whatever the case, it is pure madness by Judge Ross to award joint custody to a rapist of a pre teen girl. The woman, now 21, according to her attorney never agreed to the joint custody, or allowing the judge to notify Mirasolo of her address (there had been statements made in her initial case that Mirasolo threatened to kill her and her friend if they told) and she never gave consent to allow her rapist to be added to the child’s birth certificate.
There are not words strong enough to invoke the necessary outrage to how unfair and insensitive Judge Ross’s actions were to a rape victim. The victim’s attorney says that the custody case was initiated after Sanilac County, two hours north of Detroit, looked into the child support the women was receiving, including $260 a month in food stamps and health insurance for her child she was receiving. As part of his decision Judge Ross also required the victim to move back to where the proceeding was initiated.
Women, POC, Gays and Transgenders are still not adequately and fairly represented. Cases like the above just highlight how imperative it is that POC and women must be active in ensuring their voices are heard and that they are fairly represented within the laws and the judiciary. People must vote, speak out and place people in office and behind the benches that are capable of emitting empathy and reason for those that are otherwise underrepresented.
#rapist, #JudgeGregoryRoss, #ChristopherMirasolo, #Injustice, #Rapevictims, #Michigan, #women
