New Haven Independent

Oullette, a student journalist, wrote the following opinion article in response.

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By Torrese Oullette

I was reading the article about the Tillman case in the New Haven Independent, and although I thought it was a great article, I had a major problem with some of its rhetoric. Although never explicitly, the article subtly implies that the woman had malicious intent and deliberately lied about Mr. Tillman’s role in the crime.

I am looking at this line in particular: “In 1988, a white woman picked Tillman’s face out of a photo lineup and accused him of raping her. (Tillman is African-American.)”

This line (perhaps unintentionally) implies that Tillman is a victim of a white, racist liar. The way the author has juxtaposed the “white woman” against the “black man” clearly suggests an “us-versus-them” mentality.

This implication is not necessarily accurate. I think that this is especially problematic due to the fact that people are already inclined to castigate the victims of rape. It seems that in the process of making a statement about institutional racism, the author has succeeded in forming almost sexist connotations.

From my observations of cases similar to the Tillman Case, I have noticed that we as a society have the tendency towards blaming the victim. Every believer in justice and democracy is glad that justice was done and Mr. Tillman was exonerated. However, evidence of Tillman’s innocence does not necessarily mean that the woman who identified him as the rapist is a cruel or dishonest person. Mr. Tillman distinctively mentioned the possibility that the woman made an honest mistake in identifying him. This is part of what made his story so credible and so compelling.

Many people who have participated and observed this case seem to have forgotten a significant issue: That there were two victims as opposed to one. Mr. Tillman was not the only individual wronged in this situation. For the woman who was raped, the evidence that exonerated Mr. Tillman probably re-awakened a torrent of anguish. She now has to deal with the fact that somewhere, the person who raped and assaulted her still has the capability to harm her again. On top of this, she must live with the guilt of misidentifying another man.

In all of the emphasis placed on a “black man” being wronged by a “white woman”, we have forgotten that Mr. Tillman’s exoneration has not reversed the original crime. In the midst of Mr. Tillman’s euphoric liberation, somewhere, a woman’s wounds are reopened.

The Tillman Case, and similar cases where sexual crimes against women are perpetrated, provide people with an excuse for castigating women for mendacity. Even in simplistic rape cases, where the perpetrator is clearly identified, the woman must face scrutiny and shame for the rest of her life. She must constantly defend herself against people who blame her for “provoking” the act or “lying” about the details of the incident.

More than likely, the woman who misidentified Mr. Tillman did so out of simple human error. Regardless, she is still experiencing the pain from her ordeal. We can all find consolation in the fact that Mr. Tillman’s nightmare has finally ended. The woman’s nightmare, however, may never end.

Mr. Tillman deserves recognition for his strength, honesty, and willingness to forgive. It is refreshing to see that justice has been done and a man has been compensated for legal inefficiencies. However, we mustn’t forget that true justice has not been done until ALL victims are appeased. For the American justice system to be truly fair and efficient, we must modify the conviction process—without question. But also, we must deviate from our traditional blame-the-victim mentalities.

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