Kidnapping or hate crime?
It's a criminal case worthy of Akira Kurosawa.In the prosecutor's telling, a South Salt Lake fracas July 4 is about a group of parents rescuing their children from the clutches of a neighbor-turned-kidnapper. Indeed, David Bell faces charges of burglary and kidnapping.
But through the lens of Bell's lawyer and family, it's tale of a kindly neighbor, who happens to be gay, giving a quiet refuge to some sleepy neighbor kids during their parents' wild party. In return, a bigoted mob kicked in Bell's door to brutally beat Bell and his companion.
No one disputes the discovery of the children in Bell's home or that several adults, including the children's father, severely thrashed Bell and his friend, an incident his attorney Roger Kraft calls a hate crime. No charges have been brought against the alleged vigilantes.
The mother of one of the kids says it wasn't about Bell being gay — but the shock of finding the children in his house that triggered the beatings. "Imagine walking into your house and not being able to find your kids, then you find them in someone else's bedroom."
All of this, of course, is channeled through reporters Erin Alberty at The Tribune and the DNews' Pat Reavy.
What the jury wouldn't give for a medium.
9 Comments:
I'm pretty sure that if you can shoot homeless people dead then you can at least beat gay people.
Since this incident was first reported, I have followed all the news on the SL Trib, DN, City Weekly, both print and on-line versions. There are so many unanswered questions about what actually took place, and there has been reports of witnesses stating that the children were wandering and knocking on doors.
I am shocked but not surprised by the refusal of the SSLC and/or the prosecutor's office to arrest or bring serious charges against those who partook in a violent home invasion and assualted the occupants.
There definitely needs to be a Federal Civil Rights investigation as to why the civil rights of the "accused" kidnapper have been so blatantly violated, and apparently 'winked at' by local law enforcement at the scene.
I would also recommend that the suspect and his friend file civil rights lawsuits against the aggressors who 'took the law into their own hands'...
Glen: How 'bout a little love for the best altie paper in town? City Weekly reporter Ted McDonough wrote this story eight days ago. I guess the dailies had to wait till the edition left the stands so they didn't look like they were following us.
Go here for a more complete story:
www.slweekly.com/index.cfm?do=article.details&id=74D4F71B-14D1-13A2-9F319BF518F752F2
By the time the DN and the Trib got onto this, everyone had lawyered up. Stories have morphed a bit in the past week. No wonder it seems confusing.
If you're a single guy, gay or straight, stay away for kids. If you don't you are just setting yourself up for problems. As a straight single man, I wouldn't go near a kid for fear of something like this. All a kid has to do is say "something" and your life is F'd forever.
There was a recent show on this topic on ABC; it showed people walking by a little kid (an actor) who was to portray a lost child. The lady (Diane Sawyer) herself said that men were probably avoiding the child out of fear of being accused of "something".
This guy was obviously beaten as bad as he was becaue he is gay. His behavior IS what I'd expect from a woman - not a man. Gay men seem to have many attributes of straight women; I have no doubt this guy was behaving as a concerned woman would.
Why didn't he just call the police if the party was too loud?
Oh, Holly, stop harrassing your ex-hubby's blog!!!!
Where's the outrage here about the parents and their drunken partying into the early hours, oblivious to the condition of their kids.
Seems to me the gay guys ought to get the key to the city, and the parents charged with child neglect, as well as assault.
I love it that Mullen is so sensitive to her rag not getting recognition. Is that precious, or what?
Didn't she get fired from the Tribune before landing at the Private Eye, or whatever they call it now?
Pathetic.
Regardless of what the parents have said this all comes down to a hate crime and the fact that the parents couldn't keep an eye on their own kids. yeah smart have a big party till 6am while your kids are in the house sleeping. be a parent and be in the house with your kids or get a babysitter! David did nothing wrong but open his door to kids that knocked on it and was beaten for it. Get the stories straight people! HE DID NOTHING TO HURT THE CHILDREN! For that matter the kids were home safe and sound before David and his partner were even beaten and the parents aren't getting charged...explain that one to me..and anyone that says yep gay s deserves to be beaten yeah well thats saying its ok to beat someone as long as you don't agree with them...its called freedom of choice not freedom to choose unless you don't like the persons choices.
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