Tawana Brawley rape allegations
Tawana Brawley (born 1972) is an African-American woman who received national attention in the U.S. when she was 15 years old for her claim that she was raped by six white men, some of them police officers, in the village of Wappingers Falls, New York. The alleged incident soon became a media sensation, championed by Reverend Al Sharpton and by attorneys Alton H. Maddox and C. Vernon Mason. There were no indictments in an investigation conducted by a grand jury in October 1988, who cited a lack of evidence. Sharpton, Maddox, and Mason were later successfully sued for statements made in connection with the case, and ordered to pay $345,000 in damages.
Origins of the case
On Saturday, November 28 1987, Brawley, who had been missing for four days, was found lying conscious but unresponsive in a garbage bag several feet away from an apartment she had once lived in, her clothing torn and burned, her body smeared with feces. She was taken to the emergency room, where various slurs and epithets were discovered written on her torso with a black substance described as charcoal.[1]
A detective from the Sheriff's Juvenile Aid Bureau, among others, was summoned to interview Brawley, but she remained unresponsive. The family requested a black officer, which the police granted. Brawley, described as having an "extremely spacey" look on her face, communicated with this officer with nods of the head, shrugs of the shoulder, and written notes. The interview lasted 20 minutes, during which she uttered only one word: "neon." Through gestures and writing, however, she indicated that she had been raped repeatedly in a wooded area by three white men, at least one of them a police officer. A sexual assault kit was administered, and police began building a case.
Public response
Public response to Brawley's story was at first mostly sympathetic. Bill Cosby, among others, pledged support for her. Articles about Brawley captured headlines across the US. Public rallies were held denouncing the incident. However, racial tensions also climbed, and when up-and-coming civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton, with attorneys Alton H. Maddox and C. Vernon Mason, began handling Brawley's publicity, the case quickly took on an explosive edge.
Under the wing of Sharpton, Maddox, and Mason, a full-fledged media sensation was born. The three claimed that the entire case was a coverup going all the way up to the state government. They named New York prosecutor Steven Pagones specifically, calling him a racist and a rapist, among other accusations.
Grand jury hearings
By the time of the grand jury hearings, six men had been accused of rape. After seven months of examining police and medical records, the jury determined there was not enough evidence to charge these suspects with a crime.
In the decision, the grand jury noted many problems with Brawley's story. Among these were the results of the rape kit, which did not indicate sexual assault. Also, despite her claim of having been held captive for days, Brawley was not suffering from exposure, was well nourished, and appeared to have brushed her teeth recently. There were no burns on her body, despite her clothing being charred. A shoe she was wearing was cut through, yet she had sustained no injuries to her foot. Testimony from her schoolmates indicated that she had attended a local party during the time of her supposed abduction, and one witness claimed to have observed Brawley climbing into the garbage bag. An ex-boyfriend of Brawley's told Newsday that Brawley had admitted making the attack up.
A total of 180 witnesses were called during the hearings. Brawley herself never testified.[2]
Aftermath
Brawley and her mother had both been subpoenaed to testify in front of the grand jury, and refused to do so. This may have prompted Brawley and her family to move hastily to Virginia, taking with them a "defense fund" of $300,000 which had been contributed by well-wishers. There is still an outstanding warrant against the two for ignoring the subpoena, and they are subject to arrest in New York state should they ever decide to return.
The case still hangs over Sharpton, particularly following his entry into mainstream politics (his race for the 2004 Democratic Presidential nomination involved his addressing the convention from its podium), not merely because he defended Brawley's story but for the unfounded accusations he leveled, and, according to some of his critics, his "playing the race card".[3]
Maddox was later disbarred after being accused of billing and abandoning clients in an unrelated series of incidents.
In 1997, Tawana changed her name to Maryam Muhammad.
In 1998 Pagones was awarded $345,000 (he sought $150 million) in suit for a defamation of character that he brought against Sharpton, Maddox, and Mason.
Maintaining innocence
Brawley maintains she did not invent the story, and she still has supporters.[1] Sharpton has never apologized to Pagones for naming him a perpetrator.
References
- ^ Margolin (AP staff writer), Josh (December 3, 1997). "I'm not a liar". Times Herald Record. Retrieved 2006-01-14.
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See also
External links
- The grand jury report on the Brawley case
- A CNN story on the Pagones suit
- Chin, Pat (December 12, 1997). "Tawana Brawley Speaks Out". Workers World Party. Retrieved 2006-01-14.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) (another view of Brawley's appearance in Brooklyn in 1997) - Pagones v Maddox, et. al. - Supreme Court Of New York Decision
- New York Times Tawana Brawley topic page