These past few weeks have been challenging for us disseminators of information and writers of news. It all began with an article we had to publish about a criminal case relating to the sexual exploitation of children. As if that wasn’t bad enough, more heartbreaking court hearings unfolded over the next couple of weeks, each more disheartening than the next, all related to the sexual abuse of children. One as young as six.
One might think we don’t need to report grisly details. Trust me, we would prefer not to. However, we have a responsibility to do so. Otherwise, how do we let people know what is going on? How do we change legislation, exact harsher penalties, or get help for victims? How do we teach children and adults to speak up or share their stories? How can they feel safe doing so if we only half-paint the picture of their tragedy? Will they think family, friends, or law enforcement will not believe them? Will they think they are alone in their pain and confusion? Or will these victims wonder if something is wrong with them, that they were somehow responsible for what happened to them? If it were not for journalists writing about the ever-so-ugly matter of sexual assault with its black and blue, bloodied, and battered truth, we would likely be where we were fifty years ago when these crimes were scarcely reported to law enforcement, much less prosecuted or punished.
Don’t get me wrong. We miss it sometimes – and sometimes we miss it badly. But we do try to protect the victims. Only the judges, attorneys, and those in the courtroom are aware of the breadth and depth of the darkness, of the violent and graphic details that are matters of public record. Details that never make it to the light of day. We choose our words carefully and soften as much as we can, as often as we can. Sometimes, in our endeavor to be factually correct and reliable, we include information that could have perhaps been held back, or we express it in a way that is not ideal. But dear readers, please remember we are hip-deep in the ugly, depraved version, the horror of it, the heartbreak. I can promise you that we never dismiss it out of callousness or indifference. The public calls us out for sharing but also for not sharing the facts precisely as they stand.
Still, we are responsible for telling the ugly truth so that change can occur. The news we share becomes a matter of public and historical record. If anyone is paying attention to the number of sexual-related offenses in this community, particularly where children are victims, then it is clear we have a significant problem here. Just last year, I wrote an article, “In Your Back Yard - Fallon’s Pandemic of Sexual Assault Crimes,” highlighting several major sex offenders whose victims all happened to be children. However, only occasionally does a recognizable family name enter into the picture, which catches more attention from the public simply through recognition. However, the horror the victims face isn’t lessened by their anonymity or public standing. The outrage should be impartial. And if it cannot be, at least the information can.
We deeply regret that we must write these stories. We feel sorrow when our words cause pain to the victims, their family, and friends. But what we regret more is that sexual assault is happening and with alarming regularity. Unfortunately, we cannot change this. But what we can do is write stories that prompt people to sit up and pay attention, to be angry and enraged at those committing crimes harming our children. We do this not simply for the sake of outrage but for the sake of change.
In the famous words of Nick Stone from the CBS “Tightrope” series from 1959-1960, “It’s a dirty job, but somebody has to do it.”
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