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"Rape Cop" Defense Lawyer Compares Vagina To Venus Flytrap
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 22, 2011
Modified Sep 9, 2011
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By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 22, 2011
Modified Sep 9, 2011
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Yesterday the jury for the trial of two cops charged in the rape of a drunk woman in her East Village apartment heard testimony from a specialist in sexual-assault forensic exams. Nurse Karen Carroll did not examine the unidentified woman after the alleged rape, but having reviewed the medical records, Carroll testified the bruising to her cervix was "consistent with something coming into contact with her cervix when she is lying on her stomach." But during cross-examination, a lawyer for Officer Kenneth Moreno, the alleged rapist, had some questions.
In response to a question about why there wasn't any vaginal tearing if the woman was raped, Carroll replied, "If a person is passed out, they are probably not moving and you don't have as much difficulty getting the penis into the opening. That's when Moreno's attorney Chad Seigel asked, "It's not like a Venus Flytrap and snaps?" But before Carroll could dignify that with a response, the judge intervened. "That is a terrible example," Judge Gregory Carro interjected, according to the Daily News.
Ahem. Moving on, Moreno's lawyers tried to downplay the cervical bruising as just a "blemish." But the Post reports that Carroll stood firm, maintaining that the evidence is consistent with the victim's claims of waking on her bed, face-down. Defense lawyers desperately tried to come up with a number of possible explanations for what they deemed a "blemish," all shot down by Carroll. Could it be, they asked, that the cervical bruising stemmed from a venereal disease or an indelicate ER exam? Or—this is from Moreno's lawyer Chad Seigel—isn't it possible she injured herself during vigorous shower scrubbing? Ah, defending (alleged!) rapists: It's a living.
Update (9/9/11): Gothamist has published a long-form feature about the Rape Cop case, written by one of the jurors. It takes you behind the scenes during their deliberations, and explains how they came to their controversial verdict. Buy it today as a PDF or on Kindle.
Tagged
east village rape
nypd
rape cop
rape cop trial
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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