New York Family Law Blog
A young girl was abducted and kept in a hidden compound for 18 years. The man which is alleged to of kidnapped her and fathered two children with her by rape, is in court on Thursday. It’s likely that he will plead guilty which will at least give the girl and the family a small amount of justice says a New York City Family Lawyer.
The girl was kidnapped when she was 11 in 1991 and held, locked up secretly for 18 years. The accused is already a convicted rapist with a long criminal record explains the NYC Family Lawyer. The man was convicted of kidnapping and raping a girl in 1977.
The girl disappeared while she was on her way to school and his caused her family a great deal of distress.
It was thought that the defendant would issue a guilty plea. There was a plea deal which would allow him to stay in jail for the rest of his life if he did plead guilty. However, this did not happen.
There were meetings organized and it was thought to be certain that the man would plead guilty.
However, by surprise the man entered the plea not guilty. The man’s lawyer also alleged that the jury was not properly selected and that they did not act correctly. The hearing saw concerns rose over the selection of the jury.
The Lawyer was asked to submit the concerns in writing. However, it’s not actually clear exactly what the concerns are or how they affect the outcome of the case. It’s important that these two people are held accountable for their actions. It’s also important that a clear message is sent to the community regarding this case.
The pair was thought to plead guilty as it would avoid the girl and her children from needing to testify before the court. The two children fathered by rape are now 13 and 16. The kidnapper is expected to get 431 years to life if found guilty. Judges in New York City and Long Island are harsh when it comes to sentencing in this kind of case.
The girl was reunited with her mother and has requested privacy. She also hasn’t attended any of the hearings and does not want to testify because it would bring the horrible memories flooding back.
If you are concerned about the treatment of your children then you may like to hire a New York Family Lawyer. A New York Family Lawyer will be able to fight for custody so that you can take care of your kids.The Office of Stephen Bilkis and Associates can offer you support and guidance as well as a free consultation when you contact us at 1-800-NY-NY-LAW. We have offices in N York City, including Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and The Bronx and in Nassau County, Suffolk County and Westchester County.