To the editor:

I’m writing in response to Marian Carlino’s factually challenged letter of Jan. 19 in which she uses the statement, “Predators are risk-takers, assaulting someone in plain sight or close proximity to typical normal behavior (such as the alleged rapes at Penn State).”

First, Mike McQueary who “witnessed” for about six seconds what he thought was “something sexual,” never used the word “rape” in his testimony.  The word “rape” was inserted into the grand jury presentment by the person who wrote it and was immediately latched onto by the media and the public as being a fact.  Subsequently when he was called to testify at the hearings for Gary Schultz (vice president of finance) and Tim Curley (athletic director) McQueary stated that he never used the word “rape” because he had not witnessed a rape.

Secondly the comment “alleged rapes at Penn State” is incorrect in that, so far there is an accusation of one alleged incident of possible sexual molestation having occurred at Penn State, no multiple instances of anything.  Additionally, so far no one including the prosecution has found that alleged victim.

Third, the incident reported did not happen in “plain sight.” It happened at night, around 9:30 when the Lasch Football Building at Penn State was virtually deserted.  The only reason that McQueary was in the building was because he had come back to his office to pick up videotapes and went to the locker area to drop off some new sneakers and subsequently heard noise in the shower area.   Otherwise, the building was empty and that’s why Sandusky allegedly brought the child there.

It’s one thing to be outraged at the idea of children having been molested and to make everyone aware that it can and does happen every day and very often happens under the noses of the parents and other people who should be on guard to the possibility of it occurring; however, it’s unfair to publish letters that are rife with misinformation picked up from media outlets and presented as “fact” to an all-too-accepting and gullible public.

Sherry Sauerwine
Galloway