Triple Standard

On this day in 1992 a jury convicted Desiree Washington's assailant of one count of rape and two counts of deviate sexual conduct. This was upheld despite several appeals.

She was widely denounced as a liar, and had to undergo treatment for a sexually transmitted disease she contracted from him.

The president of her own denomination was indicted on a federal count of perjury for telling a grand jury he did not offer Washington $1 million to drop her charges, but a judge later dismissed this charge. Still later he was found guilty by a court of concocting evidence to justify a lawsuit against his own successor's election.

The man who assaulted her served only three years for crimes with a maximum penalty of sixty years, and was allowed to return to his former profession and earn tens of millions of dollars despite ongoing instances of violent assaults.

Just because a jury believes you, don't assume justice will be done.

(That statue of Justice as a prostitute with thigh boots and dollars stuffed in her garter was done in London in 2004 by guerrilla artist Banksy.)