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Sentencing Law and Policy
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Sentencing means always watching out how you say you’re sorry

By Douglas Berman

This AP story spotlights an interesting case due for sentencing on Thursday in Virginia state court:

More than two decades after he sexually assaulted a fellow student at a University of Virginia party, a man who later apologized to his victim as part of the 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous program faces sentencing for the crime.  William Beebe was to appear in court Thursday to learn his punishment for attacking Liz Seccuro in 1984.  The case was revived in 2005 after Beebe wrote Seccuro a letter of apology in an attempt to make amends for the assault. 

Beebe, 42, of Las Vegas, originally was charged with rape and object sexual penetration and could have faced a sentence of life in prison if convicted.  But in November, he entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated sexual battery. Prosecutors have recommended a sentence of two years in prison. 

The plea agreement was reached after investigators uncovered new information suggesting Seccuro was attacked by more than one person that night.  Authorities hoped Beebe could help them in their investigation, but no additional arrests have been made….

In 2005, Beebe wrote Seccuro a letter of apology as part of AA’s recovery program, whose ninth step calls on alcoholics to make amends to those they have harmed — unless doing so would cause further injury. In an exchange of e-mails that ensued, Beebe wrote: “I want to make clear that I’m not intentionally minimizing the fact of having raped you. I did.”

Seccuro eventually called Charlottesville police to report what had happened.  There is no statute of limitations on felonies in Virginia, and Beebe was arrested in Las Vegas.  Seccuro said that she reported the assault to university officials in 1984 but that a dean and the campus police treated her dismissively.  Seccuro, who says she has forgiven Beebe for assaulting her, said an apology is not a substitute for punishment. The attack changed her life dramatically, she said, and she deserves to finally see justice served.

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UPDATE:  This AP story, which has lots of details about the case and the sentencing proceeding, reports that Beebe received a prison term of 18 months.