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Saturday, June 5, 2010

Victims courage may lead to justice

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By going public with her story, Tina Anderson, who says that she was raped twice at age 15 by an adult member of her church, may give other rape victims the courage to break the silence that allowed their abusers to go free. The FBI estimates that only 37 percent of all rapes are reported to the police. Victims decline out of shame, fear of reprisal, fear that they wont be believed, or to protect a husband, boyfriend or relative. Every time they do come forward, as Anderson chose to do after visiting a website that aids victims of abuse, the stigma that society still attaches to rape victims is diminished. It was at Andersons request that the Monitor broke with its policy of not naming victims of sexual abuse. Anderson and her mother were members of Concords Trinity Baptist Church where Ernest Willis, now 51, was a prominent member. The girl was close to Willis family and worked as a baby sitter for his children. He is accused of raping her twice, once while teaching her how to drive and once at her home. He is due to be arraigned June 16 but meanwhile is free on $100,000 personal recognizance bail.

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It is not the alleged rapes that have made Tina Andersons allegations national news. It is her treatment, both alleged and in some cases OPINION BLOGS corroborated, by church officials. When she learned she The Editor's Blog was pregnant, Anderson confided in her mother, who in Reader Advocate turn confided in the then-minister of Trinity Baptist, COLUMNISTS Chuck Phelps.
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Anderson, Phelps and former church members agree that Anderson appeared before the congregation as Phelps read a letter written for her as an apology for putting herself in a compromising position by not distancing herself from Willis. Anderson describes the experience as having to ask for forgiveness for getting pregnant. Phelps said the public apology was not a shaming but an opportunity for church members to reach out to Anderson. Willis, who Phelps says he believed would be arrested shortly, was asked to apologize to the congregation for being unfaithful to

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BACKGROUND: Tina Anderson, now 28, says she was raped 13 years ago by a member of her Concord parish and pressured into apologizing to the congregation. CONCLUSION: Revelations of how she was treated by the former pastor and church officials has brought national attention to this case.

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his wife.

The Concord police have released little information about the alleged rapes and the departments response to them. Phelps, now a minister in Indiana, says he promptly reported Andersons allegations to the police and to the states Division for Children Youth and Families, but nothing was done.

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/opinion/editorials/758238-263/victims-courage-may-lead-to-justice.html[6/28/2011 3:44:34 AM]

Victims courage may lead to justice - NashuaTelegraph.com

Whats known is that Anderson stayed at Phelps home and, in the pastors version of events, in the homes of church members during the day. Then, some weeks later, she was sent to live with a Colorado family Phelps knew from his days as a minister there. Anderson and her mother did not talk to the police about the alleged rapes. Anderson claims that church officials used their influence over her to convince her not to do so. Phelps vehemently denies that and says Anderson was sent to Colorado at her mothers request, not in an attempt to cover up the alleged crimes. The Concord police say they investigated the case but couldnt proceed because they couldnt locate Anderson. Like the churchs policies and actions, that claim needs elaboration and explanation. Even though she was home-schooled by the Colorado couple, Anderson couldnt have been hard to find. Anderson is now a 28-year-old mother of four: three children with her husband and one put up for adoption who was allegedly fathered by Willis. Much more will come out about her allegations in months to come. The pursuit of justice will require that she disrupt her life and that of her family and relive painful pieces of her past. We applaud her courage. Concord Monitor

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http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/opinion/editorials/758238-263/victims-courage-may-lead-to-justice.html[6/28/2011 3:44:34 AM]