Teen (rape) victim rejects Woolsey's apology (

Marin Independent Journal ^ | 2/15/04 | Jennifer Golan

[BlessedByLiberty]

A teenage rape victim excoriated Rep. Lynn Woolsey for intervening on behalf of the man who attacked her, and rejected the congresswoman's subsequent apology for seeking leniency from a sentencing judge.

"I don't accept her apology," said Tina Phan, who was 17 when Stewart Pearson, 20, of San Rafael, raped her in her Terra Linda home last summer. "She represents the rapist who took advantage," the victim said of Woolsey.

"The people that vote for her are saying the same thing and supporting the rapist. She can never say sorry (for the letter) because of what he did to me, and she is basically saying he should be let off the hook. She didn't do her part in representing Marin County."

Woolsey, D-Petaluma, who is seeking re-election in the 6th Congressional District next month, did not return a call requesting comment. She is opposed in the March 2 Democratic primary by consulting business owner Renn Vara.

Although the Independent Journal generally does not identify victims of sexual assault, Phan asked that her name be published. In court, she made a point of placing her name on the record.

Using her official congressional stationery, Woolsey sent a letter dated Dec. 2 to Marin Superior Court Judge Terrence Boren, saying Pearson had a "promising life ahead of him." Pearson's mother is an aide in Woolsey's office.

The letter, sent a month before Pearson's sentencing, said Pearson "is a young man from a supportive family," and that Pearson had volunteered for Woolsey and local nonprofit agencies.

But last Sunday, after an Independent Journal story about Woolsey's letter, the congresswoman apologized to Phan in a brief written statement given to the IJ.

Stewart Pearson pleaded guilty last Sept. 11 to raping Phan in July 2003. Phan awoke as Pearson tried to knock her unconscious by smothering her face with a rag soaked in household chemicals. He then raped her, according to court records.

Phan testified that Pearson, whom she had known since middle school, said he had done the same thing before - and that he intended to do the same thing again.

Pearson was sentenced to eight years in prison, the maximum allowed under a plea deal in which other charges of sodomy and assault were dropped.

Pressed on why she wrote the letter, Woolsey said last week she was not privy to the facts of the case.

"If she didn't know the facts of the case, she shouldn't have written the letter," Phan said. "If I was in her position, I wouldn't have written the letter. She used her power in the wrong way."

Woolsey's letter drew rebukes from a North Bay rape crisis official and from the Marin deputy district attorney who prosecuted the case, who said the situation raised questions of propriety.

Contact Jennifer Gollan via e-mail at jgollan@marinij.com

[BlessedByLiberty]

This admirable, brave young lady does not deserve to be represented by the likes of Lynne Woolsey, D-Petaluma. The rapist said he had done the same thing before and would do it again as he was raping this young teen.

Woolsey is up for reelection this year.

Here is Woolsey's information:http://woolsey.house.gov/

[luvbach1]

Woolsey was not interested in the facts of the case because she was more interested in defending the perpetrator than the victim, the essence of liberalism.

[gitmo]

Pressed on why she wrote the letter, Woolsey said last week she was not privy to the facts of the case.

Yep. That's a democRat all right.

[luvbach1]

This makes a much sense as the previous post, so her it is: Woolsey was not interested in the facts of the case because she was more interested in defending the perpetrator than the victim, the essence of the perversion that is liberalism.

[lelio]

Woolsey said last week she was not privy to the facts of the case.

What, Woolsey just heard that a son of one of her workers was accused of rape and so she sent off a letter? I would be worried about any decisions this person's making if she's inclined to writting letters this quickly.

[Lijahsbubbe]

Tina is a smart girl. She called it like it is, and stopped Woolsey's spin cycle. She should replace Woolsey.

[68skylark]

Hey, let's have a little sympathy for those who try to be good liberals in public service. One day they're asked to support a president who probably committed a violent rape. And then on another day they get in trouble for supporting a violent rapist. It must be so confusing for them!

[Dan from Michigan]

I'm not suprised one bit by Woosley. She's one of the worst there is in Congress.

I hope she gets her ass kicked in the primary.

[BlessedByLiberty]

The original story is that she wrote the letter to the sentencing judge using Congressional stationary. A man in Marin has filed ethics complaints basically accusing her of influence peddling.

Woolsey repeatedly championed Slick Willy - at least she's consistent in her opinion of rapists.

[Kudsman]

Using her official congressional stationery, Woolsey sent a letter dated Dec. 2 to Marin Superior Court Judge Terrence Boren, saying Pearson had a "promising life ahead of him." Pearson's mother is an aide in Woolsey's office.

Evil is as evil does ma'am.

[Bonaparte]

Unfortunately, Woolsey's seat is safe. Marin County wants to be represented by communists.

[Syncro]

Me too Dan

Perhaps this will put her over the edge of electability if enough people hear about it.

The ethics complaint for influence peddling below your post hopefully grows legs.

She "represents" my district.

[angkor]

This admirable, brave young lady ...

"Phan" is a Vietnamese surname.

From another story:

"I never hesitated to go to the police because I knew I didn't do anything wrong,'' Phan said. "What got to me most was that he said he had done this before and would do it again. I had to make sure he didn't.''

[snip]

"When he was doing what he did to me, he thought he had control,'' Phan said. "But I control his life now. He humiliated himself, his whole family. He has ruined his whole life. At the sentencing, I can tell the judge everything I think should happen to him. Rape is about control, and now I'm the one in control.''

[Lunatic Fringe]

The letter, sent a month before Pearson's sentencing, said Pearson "is a young man from a supportive family," and that Pearson had volunteered for Woolsey and local nonprofit agencies.

I notice nothing positive about the rapist in this statement:

He is a young man...

Whoop-dee-do

from a supportive family

Look what that supportive family created

volunteered for Woolsey and local nonprofit agencies.

i.e. - he can't find a real job

[Gritty]

Representative Lynn Woolsey (D)
6th Congressional District, California
Democrat, Years of Service: 11

ACU Ratings for Representative Woolsey:
Year 2003	12
Year 2002	N/A
Lifetime	4
Lynn Woolsey is just another weepy Liberal hero who thinks criminals are just misunderstood victims of society and who feels her mission in life is setting the rest of us straight (sic). Miss Phan is the real hero here.

[BlessedByLiberty]

I find it interesting that unlike her usual availability to the press she could not be reached for comment. This may finally wake up some of our neighbors.

We're also in her district and as your tag line says, she doesn't represent me.
How did we get so lucky - Boxer, Feinstein and Woolsey with a Pelosi added in? I'm a woman and none of them make me proud of that!

[Mr. Jeeves]

Using her official congressional stationery, Woolsey sent a letter dated Dec. 2 to Marin Superior Court Judge Terrence Boren, saying Pearson had a "promising life ahead of him." Pearson's mother is an aide in Woolsey's office.

Proving once again here are two classes of people in California - those with connections to Democrat insiders, and the rest of us.

Unfortunately, everyone around here has drunk the Woolsey Kool-Aid, and she'll get about 85% of the vote in November.

[jigsaw]

First line in Woolsey's official biogaphy on her gov website:

As the Chair of the Democratic Caucus Task Force on Children and Families and the
Ranking Member of the House Education Committee’s Subcommittee on Education
Reform, Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey is dedicated to giving working families the
tools they need to take care of their children.

[lafroste]

I would like to know what pressures, if any, this young lady was subjected to in order to "begin the healing process", or otherwise play along with the establishment protocols that would have allowed ole' woosey's letter to get the perp off. One thing libs seem to forget: revenge is a basic human emotion. Even if they trained it out of a bunch of mush heads over the last thirty years, it will come roaring back. In the case of this story's victim, her culturally diverse upbringing exacts revenge for grevious wounds (unlike the arabs who exact grevious revenge for imaginary or trivial wounds)
She wants the perp destroyed and is willing to go that extra mile to accomplish that goal. Good for her. I bet she will make a very loyal mate, assuming her chosen shows that he deserves her loyalty.