...on reports for years before arresting serial rapist

https://www.npr.org/2024/04/24/1246923906/boston-area-police-failed-to-act-on-reports-for-years-before-arresting-serial-ra

Here's the blurb about the story from the website:

"Alvin Campbell Jr. is accused of sexually assaulting nine women over three years and will go on trial for rape and other charges. His sister is Massachusetts'
Attorney General Andrea Campbell."

Now from the transcript:

"WUTHMANN: Boston police refused to comment or release records of their Campbell investigations. The Suffolk DA's office firmly denies Alvin Campbell's family connection was a factor. Attorney General Andrea Campbell rarely discusses the case and did not agree to an interview, but the state's highest law
enforcement official did release a recorded statement.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ANDREA CAMPBELL: I remain horrified, heartbroken and devastated by this case. I support survivors of sexual assault without qualification, and I will continue
to pray for the survivors in this case who have shown tremendous courage in coming forward."

Clearly, the archived quotation from the state's Attorney General (and sister of the man charged) shows she's a religious person (I think it can be safely said that atheists don't pray--who would they be praying to.) And, of course, Massachusetts isn't a Mormon state--the dominant religion there today is Roman Catholicism which is, I expect, the Attorney General's religion. Mormonism and Roman Catholicism are far apart in many areas, but conservative family values isn't one of them. And I fear that in trying to "protect her family", the Attorney General may have tipped her hands on the scales to keep her brother from being arrested for his initial crimes for at least five years, according to the story (it also says there is no direct evidence of this.)

What I'm getting at here is something that humans do and that their religions teaches them to do even if it is harmful to the broader society. In this case, the teaching is loyalty to the tribe (the family) despite any consequences to those who are not in the family. Roman Catholicism teaches this and so does Mormonism. Put another way, if an alleged sexual predator has a sibling with political power where he operates, the chances will be that his crimes will be overlooked and ignored as the sibling does everything within his/her power to "protect the family." I wish I was wrong about every point I've just made, but what has happened thus far in this case appears to bear me out.

As the article points out, rape cases can be tough to prosecute for a variety of reasons, and when the perp is a relative of a powerful individual, a prosecutor will want to make sure that the case is as air-tight as possible. I doubt that Andrea was in any way involved, but I'm sure that a thorough investigation will go into that.

I wouldn't want to make a judgement about her religiosity simply based on the word, "pray." There are tons of lapsed Catholics out there, and also plenty of residents of Massachusetts who are members of other churches. Plus, being in the public eye, she may simply be using a common expression that she was raised with, but carries little to no meaning for her.

Political power is always a problem with the Justice system.

So is religion!

IDK squat about Massachusetts, but wouldn’t those type of cases be the domain of local prosecutors?

GNPE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> IDK squat about Massachusetts, but wouldn’t
> those type of cases be the domain of local
> prosecutors?

You are right, but it is feared that the sister as both a councilwoman (which she was before becoming the state's Attorney General) and in her current position attempted to delay the progress of this case.

Her Wikipedia link doesn't indicates any religious connection. Trying to connect a family crime cover-up to a religion is trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Campbell



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/2024 01:30AM by tumwater.

Thank you!!

Otherwise, it makes it sound like I am incapable of committing a crime because I am an atheist, and I refuse to be treated in such a cavalier fashion!