Rape is one of the most vicious crimes known to man. The perpetrator uses their power to take away the victims power, and it is always damaging to their mind, body, and soul. With that being said, it is perfectly understandable when the authorities prosecute the accused with the full force of the law. Understandable, but in no always fair. The fact is, in many cases there is simply not enough evidence, and cases are built on mere accusation rather than fact.
Last month the Manhattan Supreme Court dismissed rape charges against Johnny O'Neal, 54, long after he finished serving a fourteen-year sentence.
In 1984, O'Neal was convicted of raping a woman at knifepoint on the roof of the Frederick Douglass Houses, though several family members said he was at home watching TV. He was released in 1998, and a recent reinvestigation determined that the late Gregory Smith confessed to the crime, as well as two other rapes. "I needed this for my mother," O’Neal said on Thursday. "I didn’t want her to be deceased and to think her son was a rapist. She had to wear the same stigma I wore." He said he plans to sue "the people responsible."
The sad reality is the fact that there is no monetary amount that can be put on freedom, and once a good name has been tarnished it is virtually impossible to restore its former shine. Hopefully Johnny O'neal gets justice, peace, and compensation for 14 years years of lost wages multiplied for his pain.
PR
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