Extraordinary Charges of Rape

In a piece published on December 14, 1872, The Illustrated Police News release an article in which the journalist examines the sexual harassment that occured to a young woman in Chelston Park. When addressing the victim, Mary Meskin, the journalist follows it by stating that she is a self respecting woman, and then continues on to mention the name and profession of her father  as well as the reputation of her family. In the brief mention of the rapist, his name is quickly mentioned as Mr.Douglas, who readers later find out as a former prisoner. As the article progresses, the young lady recants what happened to her and the trauma that she felt. She states that she was out on a walk when this man approached her. When she offered him her money assuming that he was trying to rob her, he tackled her to the ground, dragged her into an ally, and commited the deed. She left bruised, clothes torn, and a bloody face. After running home in fear, the first thing she did was reactant the story to her family who then brought in the police. In efforts to validate her story, they went to the location to question the locals, all of whom mention hearing screaming, seeing a man and woman struggle, or seeing Mary escape with a beaten look. In her statement, Mary states why she was there, what her intention for being there was, and how the incident occured. While the rapist in question is briefly expressed as a former prisoner, little detail is given on what he looks like or what his background is. Instead, the journalist dedicates the rest of the article to interviewing and providing a background on the witnesses who can validate her story.

While the facts do align, the fact that little attention is paid to the rapist, and the focus on the article is centered around the idea of whether or not the young lady is telling the truth or not is concerning. The statement of her and her family was not enough, but instead required the opinions and stories of other who were in the area. While empathy is placed for Mary throughout the entire article, it only comes after validation from other men who may have seen it happen. Her distraught appearance is not enough, and the fact that her reputation must be emphasized is something that occurs even today. The title of the piece suggests that this is something that may not occur often, however it is likely that it is either not reported often, or the woman's stories are not validated often.