My Story
That was the last straw. How far reaching was the corruption, I thought? We had tried every way possible to cooperate and work within the law enforcement and legal systems. Now it was time to fight back. We filed suit against the police officers and the City of Waterbury. The lawsuit was extensive, citing 26 violations in all. I had now formally developed a list of police department policy and procedure changes that I wanted implemented so that no other victim would have to go through this type of nightmarish trauma. I wanted improved sexual assault training that assured innocent victims be treated with dignity, respect and compassion. I also wanted an apology and acknowledgement that I was telling the truth all along.
We were willing to settle and avoid trial if my requests were honored. We tried non-binding arbitration but an agreement could not be met. Seven years had passed, numerous depositions had been taken and I was vigorously preparing for trial. The mayor of the city asked to meet with me. I reluctantly agreed. I let him know my expectations. But the city's stance was muddled with legalese and I had no confidence my expectations would be met. The trial was to begin in January 2001. To complicate matters, I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer in mid-December. My family was extremely concerned about my mental and physical well-being. I did not want to treat my health casually, but to stop the legal process would have been even more detrimental to my state of mind. We consulted with doctors and a careful decision was made to hold off on the subsequent surgery and radiation therapy until after the trial. On the afternoon before the trial, the city offered a financial settlement and a half-hearted plan to work with me on my demands. Everyone told me I should take it, but it didn't seem right. This was my life - and my reputation - that they had severely damaged. They had pushed me around for seven years, and I needed the trial to set the record straight.
In many ways, preparing for trial had become part of my healing process. So I forged ahead with the support of my family. The arduous trial lasted almost a month; the female defense attorneys were especially brutal. They questioned everything from my motherhood, to the terminology I used on the 911 call, to my injuries. They even went so far as to have a female administrator cut a phone line sample to prove that a woman could do it. One by one Waterbury police officers were called in, swearing to tell the truth but proceeding to spew out hideous lies.
Two officers, however, stood apart and dared to speak honestly. Detective George Lescardes - a family friend - stated that he had told the initial investigating officers they were headed down the wrong path. Sergeant Neal O'Leary said from the stand that he too had found not a shred of evidence to support I was involved in any affair. In fact, O'Leary stated that "Anyone I talked to said that she was one of the finest people that they had ever known - including clergy, friends and family." Dr. Henry Lee testified about the proper procedure for securing a crime scene. Dr. David Johnson from the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Center at Yale testified about the emotional damage the police had inflicted on me, and how detrimental it was to an innocent victim so soon after being attacked.
Jury deliberations lasted five days. Finally, on January 31, 2001, the jury found the defendants guilty. We were awarded $190,000 in damages; but it was never about the money. I wanted the negligence acknowledged, an apology given and change to occur. I never did receive an apology from the lieutenant or his brother, the captain. The city paid for the damages, but the negligent lieutenant kept his job. In fact, he was promoted to captain before taking an early retirement and moving out of state.
Sergeant O'Leary became a captain as well, and soon after became the Chief of Police. He had never forgotten about my case and one of the things he set out to do was revamp the policy and procedure manual for the Waterbury Police Department. We had kept in touch and I offered my assistance on the sexual assault portion. He allowed me to give input to his staff and make recommendations. It was then that a lieutenant I was working with said that although I never did receive an apology from the officers who were negligent, he wished to apologize on behalf of the entire police department. I was brought to tears; finally, a long-awaited apology.
|
This was my life - and my reputation - that they had severely damaged. They had pushed me around for seven years, and I needed the trial to set the record straight.
