Posted by Ann Boise ID on July 10, 2010:

This would explain why so many kids are terrified of clowns.

Posted by Elizabeth, NJ on July 10, 2010:

Just kill him...rape needs to be a death sentence crime! No waiting on death row being fed and housed...death must come swiftly!

Posted by Patricia, Dearborn Heights, MI on July 10, 2010:

Elizabeth, NJ: There is no death penalty in Mexico, in fact, the Mexican government sends their lawyers to argue and fight death sentences of illegal immigrants from Mexico who have killed over here.

But not to worry! I've heard that Mexican prisons are not good for the average person's health. From the articles I have read, the prisons are filthy and overcrowded, the food is scarce and the gangs are deadly. He may not live long and his death may be painful! One can only hope!

Posted by Scott, WA on July 11, 2010:

Elizabeth, should we kill everyone "alleged" to have committed such a crime? The accuser reportedly has a diagnosed mental illness and is not necessarily competent. Hopefully there is more concrete evidence to consider. Imagine what this guy must be going through if the accusation is false.

Posted by Mike from Dallas on July 11, 2010:

With the admonition that rape should be a death sentence crime, it does presuppose that a conviction has been obtained in order for a sentence to be imposed. However, as pointed out, Mexico has no death sentence, and at this point, there is only the arrest. So I have to presume that Elizabeth's comment is a statement about the crime of rape in general.

However, I've become terrified of ALL clowns since reaching voting age....

Clowns to the Left of me,
Jokers to the Right,
Here I am
Stuck in the middle with you.

Posted by Jim in NZ on July 12, 2010:

Scott, you're right. I've done Jury service in a case of a 14 year old girl accusing her stepfather of the same thing. Halfway through the first day she withdrew the complaint, admitting that she had made up the story because she didn't like him (and didn't take to the household standards of discipline).

Crimes that lack direct objective evidence are terribly difficult to judge correctly, it's just so important to treat cases like this dispassionately.

Posted by Robert in Missouri on July 12, 2010:

Taking into consideration the fact the victim is mentally handicapped, I hope that the Mexican police can determine the truth about what happened.

Regarding the discussion of whether or not capital punishment should be given to rapists, all I will say is there better be some serious hard evidence regarding whether or not a rape occurred before the stuff hits the fan in court. Making unfounded charges is a good way to ruin someone's life. If there was a video showing the perp assaulting the victim along with evidence such as a rape kit and the perp bragging about what he did with witnesses testifying to his bragging, there shouldn't be a problem securing a conviction.

Posted by Lanie, Phoenix on July 17, 2010:

Robert, I'm with you that we need evidence, but come on, any of the individual pieces you felt would need to come together to prove it for you would be pretty damning corroboration of the girl's story. It's two years after the fact now, but say there had been a positive rape kit -- there is no innocent explanation for a man's DNA to be found in such a test on his disabled 14-year-old step-daughter. Same for boasting. Same for video. We don't need to get into hard core sharia law and require three upstanding male witnesses in order to establish rape beyond a reasonable doubt, just a level head and common sense. I hope the Mexican government can offer both, to the victim and the accused.

Posted by Patricia, Dearborn Heights, MI on July 17, 2010:

THANK YOU, Lanie, Phoenix! I was pretty appalled that a couple of the posters seemed to think that this was automatically a bogus charge (this isn't the first time when discussing a rape on this blog either).

Of course, one would hope that the prosecuting authority would have enough evidence for an arrest. And it goes without saying that we hope there is a fair trial. But if a guilty verdict comes back then the creep SHOULD face the death penalty or, at the very least, castration so he would be unable to hurt anyone else.

Too often these perverts are allowed back on the streets, only to hurt women and children. In a lot of cases, they will turn to murder because they think they have a better chance of not getting caught if the victim is dead!

Posted by Robert in Missouri on July 18, 2010:

@Lanie in Phoenix: I will admit to being a bit over the top regarding the amount of evidence needed, but people have been in situations where they've been victimized and the authorities did little more than make excuses and cover up because the perps were considered to be "of good character" and "fine upstanding Christian gentlemen".