It been too long now, as with so many things you want to right them so everthing goes to far the other way. Who has the power in this country? I'm old enough to know its our children. One word from there mouth for any reason and your done. Don't think it can happen to you, think again.

it's amazing how lawyers attack young victims with the same words...'witch hunt' and 'evil.' You resort to that when your case is weak. If he is guilty, he needs to be held responsible. Let the legal system work. Remember that Jerry Sandusky's lawyers made similar charges as did many of Sandusky/Paterno's supporters and apologists. It is simply wrong to make assumptions about the young people. It's uncomfortable to face the reality that sexual abuse happens to innocent children, but we're the adults here and it's our job to look such wrongdoing in the face and not flinch or turn away. Face it. It happens. Look at the statistics. Don't turn away. There is much our society can learn about protecting children from sexual abuse.

It's shameful that Mrs. Robinson and Mr. Lunt have already deemed this defendant guilty. Mrs. Robinson doing so before and after the obligatory statement "if he's guilty" then goes on to lecture us on how we're too weak minded to handle the fact that that child abuse does exist. Yes thank you we know that. Unlike you two we also know that reports of crimes that never occurred are filed every day in this country. Does the McMartin child abuse case ring a bell? If you're not familiar with it Google "McMartin Child abuse case" You'll find over 34.000 pages and a movie about it. Mrs. Robinson .. It's uncomfortable to face the reality that false sexual abuse charges are filed against innocent adults...
I have idea if the defendant in this case is guilty or innocent but I do know his guilt or innocence should be determined in a court of law not in a newspaper or blog.
The thing that amazes me that neither of you two say anything about what should happen if these girls are found to be guilty of filing false police report and in the process destroying a man's life for kicks. If he's found guilty he will be sentenced by a judge in accordance with state law. If he's found not guilty where does he go to get his life back and will Robinson and Lunt be writing more comments about how sorry and how wrong they were in their opinion?
Mrs. Robinson and Mr. Lunt should pray to whomever that if they are ever falsely charged with a crime that there are no people like them on the jury

I'd like to know what the motivation of the attorney is. Why direct such inappropriate language towards the children? Is his only objective just to get his client off?

McMartin case was legitimate. I know of it and have studied it. Yes there are false memories, and cases of 'implanted memories' by therapists convinced there is something there. But this abuse happened.
Robert: my daughter-in-laws cousin were convicted of child abuse, child endangerment, and 2nd degree murder in the death of their child. They didn't do it. They were loving parents. He had some kind of virus or failure to thrive. Now they are both convicted felons and cannot associate with one another and their other child adopted out. You can bet that has made my son and DIL a bit paranoid about our grandchildren, and I don't blame them.
James Porter was certainly guilty, the camp counselor who tried to molest Scott Brown as a kid was likely guilty, although we've heard no more about that.
The flip side of this is that kids don't report and we're trying to get them to report so they can be given help and so that future abuse can be prevented. I don't have the wisdom of Solomon but I do have the ability to study reports and use critical thinking skills that I've worked to develop (not that I'm any great shakes). We have learned to put the horror aside and the reactivity and do what helps the children. Yes, false accusations are made, but they are rare. I'm not going to be on the jury
but I can make my own assessment. Thing is, it's my private opinion. I'm not making the law. I'm just sharing a private opinion here. That's my/your right.

instead of arguing back and forth, here's something we could be doing. This program has been offered this spring at thee United Methodist Church and later at the Hockamock YMCA (June 26th). This is the kind of program the public should be attending, we (parents, grandparents, teachers, church leaders, etc. etc.) should be attending. Each one of us here can become a leader in this area. I haven't attended, yet. But I will try to. http://www.d2l.org/site/c.4dICIJOkGcISE/b.6035035/k.8258/Prevent_Child_Sexual_Abuse.htm

Instead of arguing back and forth, we should think long and hard on the words of this attorney.

"Evil"? "Witches"? Does he want to silence victims? If so, why?

yes the lawyers charges and his choice of hateful language seems like an obvious smear on these accusers. If he had any defense at all to speak of, he wouldn't not be impugning (what I see as) the victims of his client.
It's important to say that when victims of any traumatic event get silenced, it causes greater trauma. We adults should be able to listen, and not as a family member told me, "oh, please don't tell me. I don't think I can take it." Luckily I was able to find a therapist who did listen and helped me find my voice.

I just have to wonder why any moral, ethical human being would want to risk silencing all accusations just to win one more notch on his belt....however loosely it may be buckled.

silencing is part of shaming the victim.
Take an incest survivor. She (in this case) can't tell anyone and she tears herself up
inside because of the shame. In another case, threats are made to the child or to other children or the child's parents, (etc.), "don't tell anyone, or else..." Like rape it is not about sex so much as dominating and controlling and humiliating a vulnerable human being. That's what is so horrible to face, that anyone would deliberately harm another person, especially an innocent child.

Gretchen: As a victim, do you think this attorney should be disbarred or somehow sanctioned for such public comments?

Well, first off I am no longer a victim. I am a survivor. Better yet I went on and thrived in work that allowed me to support and guide others in their healing/recovery.

No, I don't think the attorney should be censured. I think the attorney's remarks are a symptom. In the horrific days of the witch hunts in Europe, you could accuse a woman (80% of victims were women) of being a witch and she's be tried and tortured. Those days, thankfully, are long gone. And the public is much more aware of how abusers and defense attorneys operate. They know better that to believe a defense lawyer with his back against the wall.
His verbal attacks (my phrase) are unfortunate but he will have to live with his intemperate remarks the rest of his life. They may end up hurting the case, at least in the eyes of the public.
What do you think??

I think little children in school are now facing penalties for bullying while educated professionals are rewarded for saying much worse.

Secondly, how many parents are going to discourage their children form coming forward knowing they will face public humiliation instigated by a powerful defense attorney?

Even if these children do move forward, at what point do they become uncooperative? Then maybe the state has no choice but to cut it's loses and move on. This ends up being one more notch on a defense attorney's belt.

I'm not 'up' on what's going on in schools. Children who bully should be educated and helped. Adults bully all the time. Look at the bullying in politics. Looks like whoever is the worse bully wins. I was lucky to have found work and a marriage where there is no bullying, only collaboration and cooperation.

Yes, silencing includes chlldren, and even their parents when they find out, not coming forward.

I hate when a lawyer is a bully and gets rewarded for that. Brash, arrogant, overpowering the jury and getting that 'notch.' I was on a jury once with a lawyer who was too cocksure and the accused ended up getting convicted (he was clearly guilty). Those tactics can backfire.

I used to teach and was the victim of a conspiracy of accusations by students. Don't think it doesn't happen.