Republican Legislator Would Rather Let A Rapist Go Free Than Have An Illegal Immigrant Report an Assault

Women are expected to bear the burden of the crumbling economy, even as the rich continue to enjoy their tax cuts and other advantages. Poor women and especially poor mothers are expected to take on an even bigger share by watching Medicare, welfare and foodstamps get cut to balance a federal deficit no one was worried about when it came to funding multiple foreign wars.

Now, even lower in the rankings are immigrant women who are in the country illegally. They may be looking for a better life for themselves and their children, but according to one GOP politician, they’d better look out when they walk down the street. If attacked, there will be no chance for them to get justice.

Massachusetts state Rep. Ryan Fattman has made it clear that he believes reporting a crime is a luxury that only legal citizens are allowed to have. In response to criticism that zealous anti-immigrant legislation could cause so much mistrust between the police and potential crime victims, Fattman simply brushes off the worries. After all, if you are in the country illegally and are victimized, it is perfectly legitimate for the victim to think carefully about whether reporting it is worth potentially being deported. They brought it on themselves when they decided to be in the country illegally. Via Rightwingwatch.com:

Mr. Fattman dismissed concerns of some law enforcement officials — cited by the governor — who said using local police to enforce immigration laws could discourage reporting of crime by victims who are illegal immigrants.

Asked if he would be concerned that a woman without legal immigration status was raped and beaten as she walked down the street might be afraid to report the crime to police, Mr. Fattman said he was not worried about those implications.

“My thought is that if someone is here illegally, they should be afraid to come forward,” Mr. Fattman said. “If you do it the right way, you don’t have to be concerned about these things,” he said referring to obtaining legal immigration status.

We’ve seen blatant cases of blaming the victim when it comes to assault and rape. But the “if she wasn’t in the country illegally, then she’d be able to report it” argument is beyond the pale. The incidences of women being assaulted or sexually assaulted when trying to enter the country is high. The number of women assaulted or sexually assaulted if detained by immigration are just as bad. Report a rape, and there’s already a strong possibility that the consequences could be getting raped again. The “you should be afraid to come forward” attitude is unconscionable.

Women without citizenship don’t deserve to feel they are protected by the police? And if assaulted, they should be afraid to report it? How is this anything other than an open call to rapists saying “here’s a class of victims not likely to turn you in, go get them!”?

(h/t Think Progress)

Peaco Toons

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Phil S.

11:55AM PST on Nov 20, 2011

WoW Robin Marty ,, While i do agree with you that Ryan Fattman made a stupid statement ~ Tell me ,, What does that have to do with the Republican party?????

send a green star

Janine H.

3:34AM PST on Nov 6, 2011

This is so terrible. Always when i hear about terrible things it makes med sad, and i cannot understand how someone could do something terrible - hurt, rape or kill a person or animal. When i was a child this also happened to me... and surviving this is more terrible than not (parents and other may think different, but a victim?), living with all this pain... living with guilty feelings... full with hate for the own self
No one can understand, because most people cannot imagine this, cannot imagine how much it change. Some of them think, that this would not be so terrible, because all would make some sexual experiences, and so it would not matter if there were some without own interest or wish. This cruel and superficial society makes me sick.

I know that it is not good to wish someone who does terrible things something as a punishment. But when i hear about violent people then i think why are they so "afraid" to go to someone equal and get some hits for their selves. This is a perversion, to think being more a man when beating a woman or a girl. This men are a shame for all normal men.

"We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not yet learned the simple art of living together as brothers." (Martin Luther King)

Sarah M.

4:08PM PDT on Oct 12, 2011

If women ruled the world none of this BS would occur. Now matter how far we come, women are still treated as second-class citizens. No matter one's class or ethnicity, women have always been placed at the bottom rungs of society. When will this madness end?!

Robby C.

1:55PM PDT on Oct 7, 2011

Robert G- no, but they have to expect they won't be given a free pass for having broken the law for however long... And they can report all of the things you mention- anonymously. Prob doesn't matter- everyone hates america until they can't come here anyway. Illegals often hate it b/c they resent not being immigrants OR b/c their friends & family can't come here. What "open-border" people don't understand is that if we allow any & everyone who wants, to come here however they want & receive American's benefits, then our economy will FAIL. I'm beginning to think that's the point of our current admin- BOTH parties being complicit.

To illustrate how we can't allow this (& I mean cannot, economically support), go here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPjzfGChGlE

Another one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muw22wTePqQ

Listen to what the man says. You cannot dispute the facts. Again, rapists should be castrated no matter whom they rape. But if you're here illegally, you should be deported- preferably BEFORE something bad happens to you. BTW- what happens to Americans who are in other countries illegally when they are assaulted/raped, etc...? Do they get citenzenship? A cookie? In many countries, they get thrown in jail. AFTER getting laughed at... If WE are so aggressively barred from other countries, then why should OUR country have dif policies?

Robert G.

1:36PM PDT on Oct 7, 2011

How about if an illegal alien witnesses someone kill an American citizen, would we want them to report it to the police or simply ignore it since those same police would then have to arrest them for being an illegal alien?

Or, if an illegal alien, discovers a plot by terrorists to explode an atomic bomb in NYC, would we suggest that for self preservation they should just get as far away from NYC as they can and let the crime play out as it will.

All of the concerns about illegal aliens that I see on here are about the self preservation of the persons making the comments. Should the illegal alien be less concerned about their self preservation than these commenters?,

Erth G.

12:01PM PDT on Oct 7, 2011

Its like a woman breaking into a prison and then getting raped and saying its not my fault.

You have no records and are like almost invisible to this country if your here illegally, therefore making you more susceptible to commiting acts of crime and being involved in them.

Now in this case she should contact her amnesty and tell authorities there and maybe try the man in her own country. As far as her having any rights in this country, well they are all void since shes broken the laws to come here and god who knows how and what she did to get here.

Caitlin F.

2:53AM PDT on Oct 7, 2011

I agree with Robby C below me. I understand that some people have very hard lives, but everyone should go through the migration process legally. And rape is never ok.

9:24PM PDT on Oct 6, 2011

Wow, this is an old one....

I think rapists should be castrated, plain & simple. I think the rapist should be prosecuted regardless of whether or not the victim was an illegal or an immigrant. BUT, if the victim is illegal, then they have to face facts- they are here illegally. And coming here illegally & being wronged does not give you a free pass to stay here & become legal, bypassing all of the hardworking law abiding immigrants who are trying to do things the right way. Otherwise, women could just come over & SAY they were raped. It CAN be faked. A false description could be given &... Free pass! And there are plenty who would try this. So sure, real rape should be tried, no matter what, but illegal is illegal & should be deported. In al honesty, had the illegal not been here, then they would not have been raped here. So how do we have to feel it neccessary to make them legal b/c some POS committed a crime against them?

Gar M.

8:14PM PDT on Oct 6, 2011

While I certainly don't condone rape under any circumstances, they are in this country ILLEGALLY and therefore should have NO rights, no welfare, no medical care. Maybe this will send a wake-up message to those illegals to GO HOME and a warning to others contemplating crossing the border illegally.

Evelyn M.

5:04AM PDT on Oct 6, 2011

OMG, this is a human being?