Life is weird. I used to be a regular Doper, but I haven’t dropped in in five years or so. I need help now, and after much thought I have decided that you are the best to offer it.
My niece has been raped. She is eighteen. The rapist was an acquaintance. He drugged her, then violated her, then invited friends to partake. And I fucking want to destroy this piece of shit.
Any ideas? Anyone? I know very little about the rapist except his name and address and the fact that he is (unfortunately) a member of the U.S. armed forces.
I want to make sure that from now till the end of his days, his existence is a living hell. I need ideas. Any idea short of murder is welcome.
I’m sorry to hear about your niece. As to the practical aspect of your question you’re not providing much context. Are the authorities involved? If they are then the best thing you can do is comfort your niece, and make sure the police follow up on this diligently as (to be frank) “he said-she said” rape cases can be hard to prove if there is no physical evidence. and are sometimes not aggressively pursued. If the authorities are not involved that would your first order of business and the legal and rape crisis savvy dopers are going to be more help to you to than I would be re giving advice.
Not exactly sure what you’re looking for here, but let me just start off that YOU shouldn’t take things into your own hands. Your niece has already been through something horrific, it’s not going to help her to have gone through that and then lose her uncle who cares for deeply to the system for some years.
Can I assume that she will report this? I hope so. And if, for whatever reason, the authorities become a dead end, how about going to his commanding officers—not just his immediate supervisor? I’d write letters all the way up and down the chain of command. Obviously, this piece of shit belongs in prison. I wouldn’t be surprised if the “friends” aspect of this would qualify him for considerably more serious punishment. I’d hope so.
The more important thing to remember, though, is to make sure you stay around to support her.