Its not ther survivors of sexual trauma who "snap" and commit crimes who have the sympathy of the state and receive reduced sentencing,...It is the molesters and abusers who receive reduced sentences...

Welcome to Maine: where abused children have no rights or protection, but they sure do stand up for the perpetrators and criminals!! This is a person who suffered the abuse through childhood...he snapped. Would you not risk the same thing happening were you to walk in his shoes?

The only problem with the statements you have made is that there is no proof, just his saying so. And if you were facing prison for shooting your father, wouldn't you say just about anything to get out of it? Unfortunately that is the way the law has to look at it. After all, even the most nefarious criminals have proclaimed their innocence or mental disability.

I do not condone the slap on the wrist sentences being handed out to molestors and rapists in the State of Maine...but I do have to look at both sides of an issue where there has been a conviction of a manslaughter or murder charge. And either way, He did the crime. He cannot be allowed to get away with it. That would just increase these types of vengeance crimes.

I don't disagree with punishment for HIS crime, but to not consider the reduction of time AND IF the father did do as said above, then where was HIS punishment? They always complain that kids don't speak up enough about abuse, but when they do, they get little to no protection and the embarrassment that follows as well as other troubles. I am biased on this one due to my own daughter, though I do not believe death of anyone is ever an answer. I would rather see the perp alive if true and have him live with the shame of it, more suffering in that

If that is what the judge said then the courts should uphold what the judge ordered.

Your right lovinAZliving Abused children are not protected in Maine and when one does come forward ( as I did in defense of children in Maine) the person making the allegations is embarrassed and discredited...The abuse starts at the top....Otherwise why are child abuse criminal receviing leineint sentences?

Why are Maine citizens not making a change?

It would take numbers to have the power to do it Rachel1962, as I tried individually to make a difference. You have read the Reader's Digest version of what took place for my daughter, but a whole lot followed. Unfortunately I wish I would have known the end result back at the start because I would have just taken my daughter and fled. It's is all of Maine, not just lack of laws, but lack of CPS support, lack of reguard for the child. Then they cut budgets so that more workers are laid off and even less resources are available. One CPS worker actually got let go coincidentally after "testifying" in a protection order try for my daughter (wonder why that was?). I am willing to offer up to anyone who needs help forming numbers to write or call whoever to get involved if they wish to make a difference, but without more people, the effort is in vain. More protection would lead to less people HAVING to snap and take justice on themselves. I am betting IF the story this man told of his father is true, then he for sure feels the punishment for the crime is worth it to have the nightmares stop for him. Again, not justifying murder under any circumstance, but do understand it.

The readers Digest version? is that an analogy or fact? I have been as witness to crimes against children in Maine since 2006. My witnessing forced me to leave the state at the level of the DOJ.

I understand your frusteration. But too the lack of support WITHIN government advocacy groups who perpetuate the crimes more often than not and who are not safe and supportive for both victims and witness also add to the crimes against women and children as do corrupt politicians many pedophiles and abusive themselves. For Gods sake the governors brother just got a four month sentence for a 48 year old man who molested two children in his wife's daycare! One was ten years old! The governors brother...that is the same governor who when I asked for an investigation at the level of state to a victimization I experienced in Maine at the hands of law enforcement he refused and the investigation was given to the law enforcement who put the crime on me!

The only way there will be change in Maine is through collective effort...Letter writing to advocacy groups that are federal humantarian goups who both federal and international and bringing out of the closet the reality of crimes against children and women and Maine and the disgrace upon the state government who has failed them.Letter writing to DC!

Baldacci has enough fun with his Methadone Medicaid state managed funding for his monies with "Private clinics" Maine is a disgrace politically..Such a beautiful state and strong citizens how they could let this happen is an outrage!

I may always be contacted at my email rachaelrachael62@yahoo.com and am willing to give lists of names and ideas about who to contact and help with form letters also ideas about proactive response to lobby...getting others involved that type of thing...

Mainers tend to turn on those who come forward as if they are protecting the governemnt...Maine is a pedophile paradise...

if your real serious the Federal Government wants the stats the facts...That's where I come in..with help of course..Archiving percentages ect...The federal government is not emotional it is factual...They want numbers and paperwork and proof to back up allegations...The fun stuff research,,,then the letters and petitions and I will personally meet you and deliver those same said paper works to DC! LOL Not Maine...

LOVINALIVING I believe you and I know what you went through but you will never feel any closure until you take your experience to the next level and then the next...until there is some action taken...Maine needs a system that no longer fosters pedophile behavior. Maine needs real advocates not the type who cover up and perpetuate the crimes further. The facts are most of DHS cannot be depended upon to protect Maines children because they are corrupt. This I speak from witness to that fact on more than one occasion.

I find in my studies that more often than not sentences that I have researched that include government employees are less harsh than those who are not and that includes at the levels down to town halls.

I have witnessed the pockets in Maine which are poverty stricken and those where children are specially "bred" for the methadone industry...Legalized drug trafficking

.Privitized Hospitals funded through State managed Medicaid Methadone . BIG BUSINESS! The crimes fit together...crimes against children corrupt politicians and the need and greed associated with power....

Rachel1962- "Reader's Digest version" was just a figure of speech... the short version in other words.. you read it on another article. As I said before, I did spend thousands to try to change things, I did step up and jeapordize serving jailtime myself for my daughter's safety due to no one else offering to come to her aid. Again, the story was a lot longer than I put on a previous article, but ultimately my daughter is now safe... living across the country, but safe. I am willing to help anyone with letters, with calls...but will not subject my children to that danger by relocating up there ever again so the help I offer will be from a distance. I applied 4+ yrs to trying to change things, trying to reason and advocate, writing lawyers within a large mile spectrum of the story and problems being faced, pleading reason with courts, writing officials.... one person cannot do it alone. All along the way, the perpetrator threatened our home, our safety...his family came to my home... HE came to my home breaking protection orders and never being prosecuted for that either. I got closure by getting my children to a safe place, by allowing myself to say good bye to my family to make a new life...but that doesn't turn off the fact that if anyone else is willing to fight to get laws more strict for those that hurt children, that I am willing to be a number added in their efforts. I am sorry for your experience... I feel for anyone who has been involved in such things. It is a scary environment for the children of Maine.