Readers to the blog will notice that I now name the false accuser, Crystal Mangum.
A brief explanation of my decision. When the case began, I accepted the premise (which I no longer share) that names of those who allege sexual assault should not be made public. I described Mangum from the start as the "accuser" because I didn't find her allegations credible. I elected to maintain that description throughout the case largely because I feared that my starting to use her name would somehow suggest I had changed my opinion about the case in some way.
That said, commenters frequently used her name or initials, and I had no problem with people who did so.
Roy Cooper has now publicly proclaimed that Mangum's accusations were false. Moreover, the two newspapers whose performance on the case I respect--the N&O and the Chronicle--have elected to use her name. I see no reason not to follow the N&O and the Chronicle in this regard.
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37 comments:
After the 3 charged have been exonerated from the obviously false allegations, Crystal Gail Magnum loses her anonimity card.
I sympathize with the general rule not to name publicly a sex-crime accuser. Women usually feel very vulnerable on this kind of issue. However, this woman is the willful perpetrator in the case and the gloves should now come off. Sic-em, Fang! The police's gloves should have come off early in their questioning of her. Her story(s) sounded fishier and fishier as time went on and more information came out.
I don't understand why the AG will not prosecute her. She has committed a series of serious crimes -- the initial report and lying repeatedly later -- and cost untold financial and psychological hardship to the state and her victims. If no accountability, what's to prevent others, disgruntled for whatever reason, to do the same? Nifong will get his due, and so should she.
Pity that the vigilante reporters, newsmedia, and perfessors will probably escape.
Surprising that you elected to follow the lead of two newspapers instead of doing what you personally believed to be correct.
That's ok KC, Jesse Jackson will need her name to get her that scholarship she so deserves.
BDay
I think the AG didn't prosecute because she can get off with some type of psychiatric diagnosis.
the real sex crime is the stench that still emanates from Precious Panties
Polanski
11:43 KC continued to do what he believed (past tense) to be correct until the "victim in this case" was proven not to be a victim.
Most media choose choose not to disclose the name of the victim of a sexual assault -- I agree but also believe (now) that the accused should also not be named.
Why should Crystal Gail Mangum's name not be disclosed if it has been proven that she is not the 'victim of a rape/sexual assault'?
I agree KC, what's fair is fair.
Even with her mental problems, she has made three families go through a living hell for over one year, and her outing is a small price to pay.
you's a ho. ho!
you's a ho. ho!
you's a ho.
i said that you's a ho.
I think it's fine to name Ms. Magnum. That said, I don't agree with the posters here who are blaming her for the situation. Because of her mental problems, it is entirely possible that she doesn't realize the stories she is telling are false. I'm not saying she defentily doesn't realize this; I'm saying it's possible she doesn't.
Mr. Nifong and his assistants are another matter. They deserve to serve some hard time, and the sooner the better.
Carolyn says:
Guys - I'm a female and a former mental patient. Trust me - Crystal is a con. And the 'c' in con doesn't stand for caring about anybody except themselves.
She knew what she was doing when she did it. And she will do it again until she's stopped. Naming her is the first step. Jailing should have been the next. Unfortunately that didn't happen.
Unfortunately, it will have to - because Crystal will do it again. And again. And again. Until she is stopped.
Trust me. She's a con.
Carolyn,
If she's a con, she ought to have
her children taken away from her;
if she's mentally ill, her children
ought to be where she can't harm
them.
If the harm she callously caused
three young men isn't sufficient
evidence of that, then nothing is.
Mac
The anonimity is for those who are actually victims of a sex crime. She may be a victim of her own lack of character (and sanity, apparently) and a ridiculously stupid DA but one thing she is NOT is a rape victim. She should no longer receive any protection from any news source, period. Save the anonimity for the real victims.
Anonymous said...
Surprising that you elected to follow the lead of two newspapers instead of doing what you personally believed to be correct.
Apr 12, 2007 11:43:00 PM
KC; if you are going to follow the lead of a newspaper shouldn't be the NYT? Perhaps it would be helpful if you listed the other organizations you have been "following" since last March. I simply can't think of any examples.
I've long thought that you either make the names of both the accuser and the accused public, or you make neither public.
The usual policy of making only the name of accused public helps create an unlevel playing field and enables and even encourages false accusers.
has anyone answered the questions about CGM such as where has she been, was she getting support from the Durham Da's office sort of like witness protection, was it her idea to be such a mystery person or Nifong's, was she really a student in good standing at nccu, when was she a student and for how long? The most detailed account of what her days/nights were like came from her driver's statement. With a hectic schedule like hers its hard to imagine that she was able to handle much routine child rearing duties. Officer Gottleib did note that children were around when he interveiwed her at her home.
I am a female and a retired Rn - Crystal is a very sick mentally ill puppy. People who are delusional tell stories all the time and believe them. Nifong never believed this woman, he just used her. Nifong is the villan here folk, even the DPD did not take her seriously in the beginning. Thats why Nifong took over the case.
Crystal may or may not have been raped prior to claiming the LAX players raped her. Since Nifong didn't bother to track down the numerous sperm donors who filled her body cavities we will never figure out the truth, other than no LAX player went there.
Crystal's dimbulb father was interviewed on television on Wednesday - that guy is dumber than hell, let me tell you - a lifetime of drinking cheap booze does not increase ones' cognition, and when asked where Crystal was he answered "She ain't been aroun' lately." Fascinating.
The decision to name the lying skank (here and elsewhere) is welcome but about 396 days too late.
Perhaps my white, male bias forecloses my ability to understand what it is like to have ever suffered any adversity, hardship or to live anything other than a charmed life where everything I have ever wanted was given to me before I even knew I wanted it (empty cheek), but it just seems to me that when the founders drafted the Confrontation Clause and talked about public trials, they meant it.
WRAZ just showed the same picture that KC posted a few weeks ago - the one taken after her non-beating - showing her lovely blue eyes and blonde hair. Her name was right beside the picture.
This was part of a "what we have learned" bit - Mayor Bell had his 15 seconds and blathered on nothing, two NCCU students used buzz words to form statements that ammounted to nothing, and there you have it. Stupid is as stupid does.
Crystal Gail - Don't it make her brown eyes blue?
8:36 - Excellent connection - well done. That might explain the hair thing as well. LOL
KC,
There is no reason to name alleged victims of rape. They deserve the same presumption of innocence as anyone accused of a crime. It is also crazy to asert that ONLY in sex crimes would we keep the name of the accused secret as well. That would further promote the idea that most people accused of sex crimes are factually innocent, and further stigmatize the crime of rape more than it already is.
That said, in cases where it has been conclusively proven that the alleged victim made a false report, then they should be named. But, that too is tricky, since there are many cases on record where women were CHARGED by police with filing a false rape complaint only later to have it proven beyond a doubt that they were telling the truth and had been raped, just as they said.
I believe this is an extraordinary case and that Crystal deserves to be named but I don't believe this case has any relevance to how other rape cases are handled in future. It would be the worst possible legacy if this liar were to make it even harder for real victims to step forward.
As a woman , I can say for sure that if I was raped and knew my name and photo would appear on TV, in newspapers and be splashed all over the Internet I would not press charges against the man. I'm not even sure with the current standard of not naming women that I would feel strong enough to press charges.
In today's N&O, Cooper said that when investigators interviewed Crystal she was either high or drunk. That is inexcusable, as is the rest of this fiasco.
Women who claim to have been raped, whether true or not, get sympathy and support. Men who are accused of raping, whether true or not, are scorned. I am not sure if the disclosure laws shouldn't be reversed with men protected until the time they are actually proven guilty.
The reason not to prosecute her is because of the mental illness issues. Cooper obviously had access to far more information on that issue than any of us, and there is a question whether his office could prove intent in whatever charge they would file against her. Couple that with the fact that it would in essence keep the case alive and might require testimony and appearances by the players, and it is better for all simply to drop the matter.
The article about Crusty Gail in the N&O made a lot of things clear - altho', in their usual agenda-driven manner, many things escape scrutiny - it looks as thought Ms. Mangum uses a lot of medications and alcohol and is not in touch with reality very often. A month in a detox center might help, and once she was sober, then she should be prosecuted. But that's just my take, and I certainly hope I don't see her around town. Ewww...
It isn't true that women who are raped automatically get sympathy and support. Unless they are raped by a stranger while totally sober, they are ALWAYS doubted and questioned. If you've ever followed a rape case, if the issue is consent, they are called liars on the stand.
It is unfair to assume that because some few women lie about rape that we should treat all rape victims as liars, make their names public or assume that all rape defendants are so likely to be innocent that we don't even put their names out there. There are many cases of serial rapists where the only reason other victims came forward was due to the media coverage.
Crystal is not, and never was a rape victim. Don't harm real victims because of this nappy headed crazy ho and what she did.
CGM has a documented history of mental illness which she can use as a viable defense if accused of obstructing justice in bringing her false accusations.
But I suspect the real reason for not pursuing her has to do with the fact that she can turn around and claim she was coaxed into it by Nifong,Gottlieb and Wilson.Once she screamed rape they wouldn't let me back out because they had too much invested in it.
I agree with the poster who argues for equal treatment for accuser and accused. Name both, or keep both names out of the press. The argument that publicity works against the rights of one party are equally true for the other party. This case clearly demonstrates that.
Orson Buggeigh
In order for that to be fair you would have to do the same for all other crimes. No naming robbery or murder suspects and victims either. You can't single out people accused of sex crimes for special treatment, keeping their names secret just in case they turn out to be factually innocent.
As I've said before, by NOT naming sexual assault victims, it appears that there is shame in being assaulted. Victims should stand tall, not hide. Doing so, gives their power away.
Having said THAT, Crystal's name should be shouted from the rooftops. It's bad enough their won't be charges filed against this scamming, lying, woman. Why should she STILL be shielded?
"they are ALWAYS doubted and questioned."
They SHOULD be doubted and questioned!! Why should it be assumed they are telling the truth? Has this case taught you nothing?
"they are called liars on the stand." That is the way the adversarial system works. You want the defense lawyers to assume she is telling the truth? Is the prosecutor required to treat the accused in the same manner?
In typical fashion the women posters want special treatment for crimes that primarily happen to females.
The criminal justice system is far from perfect but giving special advantages to some accusers over the accused leads to an increased rate of innocent men being sent to prison.
What other crime victim is "always" doubted and questioned? How many robbery or shooting victims are grilled about their lifestyle or assumed to be lying?
Like it or not, rape is unlike any other crime. It does have a stigma attached to it, which any rape victim out there will tell you. Victims ARE ashamed and don't want to be publicly identified as 'the woman who was raped' or publicly judged by their neighbors. I can't imagine why anyone would demand that rape victims names be put out in the media unless they simply don't believe most rape victims are REAL victims, there is no other reason.
But I suspect the real reason for not pursuing her has to do with the fact that she can turn around and claim she was coaxed into it by Nifong, Gottlieb and Wilson.Once she screamed rape they wouldn't let me back out because they had too much invested in it.
It looks to me like that is exactly what happened -- that she was essentially blackmailed. I think that they should be prosecuted for conspiracy to suborn perjury.
And all things considered, it looks to me like Magnum in fact is the one who most efficiently and effectively sabatoged Nifong's case. Whether a cunning plan to "out-dumb" the police and prosecutors or simply the natural result of a person with basically no mental or emotional resources, her constantly shifting stories, all of which violated the laws of space-time, effectively convinced everyone (at least everyone not hopelessly evil) that no assault happened that night at the party.
Those of you who are accusing Magnum of being a monster who cold-bloodedly made false accusations are essentially accusing her of faking her mental and emotional incapacities. I'd say that the evidence that Magnum is faking mental illness is one of the few propositions for which there is even less evidence than the proposition that the lax players raped her.
Crystal Gail Magnum may indeed lose her anonymity card, but she is the wrong thing to focus on.
Police and prosecutors are paid to sort through obviously false or unprovable allegations, which they get on a daily basis.
There are many Crystal Gail Magnums in the world, and they make false or crazy accusations, and in her case it was not hard to figure out. That is the outrage here. Nifong has to stop when he knows his case is crap. When he proceeds he does a lot of damage.
He is responsible, not her.
I'm very uncomfortable with excusing Mangum because we feel that she's "mentally ill," "disturbed," whatever. First of all, she may or man not be mentally ill, but one thing that is very clear is the she's a drug and alcohol abuser and was under the influence at the time, so perhaps her "mental illness" is simply voluntary intoxication.
Second, if we are to excuse people from being responsible for their crimes simply because they're "very sick puppies" then we need to be fair about it: Charlie Manson, Ted Bundy, et al. are "very sick puppies" by any sane person's standards, so where's the equivalent sympathy and calls for "understanding" for them? The excusing of CGM seems to be an example blatant double-standard that we reserve for female criminals, and this double-standard only acts to encourage the type false allegations and gross injustice we've seen in this case.
It seems to me that most all convicted criminals could be considered "disturbed" to some extent, so I think we should hold Mangum to the same standard and not be making excuses for her or otherwise giving her a pass. To do so provides even more encouragement to false accusers than they already get from feminists and other G88 types.
We need to learn from this case, and IMO one of the most important lessons should be that we need to deal with false allegations very, very seriously, as well as deal with the enablers of false accusers.
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