Filipino who accused Marine of rape changes story

The turnabout has shocked her supporters

Probably to some, but to others the case was probably nothing more than a way to get some mileage out of their anti-Americanism. Whether he was guilty or not probably wasn't really important to them.

Shouldn't it be "Filipina"?

shez a big disgrace for hardworking filipinas around the world!

I suppose that is one way to emigrate to the United States. Although she "doesn't want to talk about it anymore," things might be beyond her control. Reading this story, it seems that this jarhead might have been thrown to the wolves on some pretty flimsy evidence. All being far, the defence should try and get this woman back into a court for a bit of a cross examination.

if she's changing her story - she must go back to court. this guy is being detained for 40 years! come on.....

If he was sitting in a prison right there in the Philippines, under their rule, this wouldn't matter to them. < :-)

it seems that this jarhead might have been thrown to the wolves on some pretty flimsy evidence" I've seen this before in the Army. PR was more of the reason for covictions than anything.

There was also a big case which became an HBO movie I believe where a girl who claimed she was raped by an American was actually the guy's girl. Upon becoming pregnant, she told her Japanese parents she was raped. Well, the guy went to jail for something like ten years (Leavenworth I believe) and when the girl, believe it or not, became a Jahavio Witness or what ever recanted her story and the guy was let out through a legal team paid for by the christian group.

Could also be that she was indeed raped, but now with distance is thinking that the 40 year sentence was too harsh.

Could also be that she was indeed raped, but now with distance is thinking that the 40 year sentence was too harsh.

I was thinking the same thing.

I have a feeling I should know this case, but the details in the article are so thin I cannot quite place it. There must have been something other than just the rape charge that netted him 40 years. That would be a completely insane charge if not. Anyone know?

There was also a big case which became an HBO movie

dont talk to me about HBO ..ooof ma'don!

check www.philstar.com for details.

Could also be that she was indeed raped, but now with distance is thinking that the 40 year sentence was too harsh.

Well she could just come out and say that.

A Filipino woman...has altered her testimony, saying in an affidavit that she may have led him to believe she wanted sex.

I think that's how most people would interpret "suckee suckee fai dallah."

Shouldn't it be "Filipina"?

News media use "Fillipino" for both men and women, and rightly so. We don't talk about Americans and Americaninas, or Italians and Italinas, do we?

SuperLib: Well she could just come out and say that.

It would not get him released. She may have decided he has been punished quite enough. I know that is hard for some people to imagine, as their image of a rape victim is comatose with a combo of rage and grief and few ever learn how to even walk again, but she seems to be getting on with her life.

saitamakid at 01:43 PM JST - 19th March: check www.philstar.com for details.

A more specific link would be nice.

She may have decided he has been punished quite enough

Maybe she's being influenced by the Church of Scientology and they convinced her to change her story. I guess anything is possible.

Nessie, some languages give gendered nouns a high profile, Spanish is one of them. Using "Fillipino" to descibe a woman is weird and grating, just like using Latino to describe a woman is weird grating, though the media does that a lot, too.

As to the article, rape accusations are perilous things. She needen't have lied the first time, even if it wasn't rape. Emotions and alcohol twist memories, and people are prone to suggestion and reinventing memories. Eye witness accounts are notoriously inaccurate, and two people witnessing the same event can come out with conflicting stories afterward She may have honestly believed she had been raped at the time, and honestly believe that could have been wrong now.

In any case, if she is no longer sure than the man needs to be set free NOW.

Likeitis,

The article is right there on the front page! Click on the big letters. The philstar article, BTW, makes Filipino justice system look like a travesty. This is the "justice" secretary:

"Gonzalez said it is remote that the CA would allow a retrial of the case since Nicole is no longer in the country.

Nicole should not ask the court to reopen the case, he added."

Nothing to see here, carry on! The politicians are more worried about looking bad, and losing the upper hand in regards to international relations than seeking justice, and the typical anti-American conspiracy theories hae been trotted out.

Also, please note that the philstar (and the filipino posters) use "filipina" in reference to females, not "filipino".

Lance Cpl Daniel Smith, convicted in 2006 of raping the woman and sentenced to 40 years in prison, remains detained at the U.S. Embassy while he pursues an appeal.

Guilt is a Moderfoder is it not.. Hope she rots in her own hell for what she and her friends did to this man.

lawyer Evalyn Ursua

In other word,"Oh she was lying to everyone?" OH those evil Americans, trying to get a green card any which way they can!......

Case closed this was all about an American man who should have not drank so much! Too common when a green card is the goal! Someone should have educated this Marine about people like this!

Now what needs to be done is someone need to nail this wench and whoever else was involved!

Nessie, some languages give gendered nouns a high profile, Spanish is one of them. Using "Fillipino" to descibe a woman is weird and grating, just like using Latino to describe a woman is weird grating, though the media does that a lot, too.

In the Spanish-language news media, they are free to follow the conventions of Spanish, Tri. Here we're speaking English.

JoeBigs: Now what needs to be done is someone need to nail this wench and whoever else was involved!

You need to back off. You have no idea how much this woman might have been led and coerced into exaggerating and pressing the rape claim. Further, as I said earlier, it might be that she WAS raped, but is just recanting because the sentence is totally disproportionate.

If he had gotten a reasonable sentence, like one to two years, he would serve his time and it would not be such a big deal even if he is innocent. The biggest crime here is the 40 year sentence, and if anyone needs to be "nailed" its whoever impossed the sentence.

But I don't think he is innocent. It looks to me like he took advantage of an unconscious woman he had spent only one night with. Its a big no-no and well deserving of two or three years. 40 though; that is beyond insane.

likeitis at 12:15 PM JST - 20th March If he had gotten a reasonable sentence, like one to two years, he would serve his time and it would not be such a big deal even if he is innocent. The biggest crime here is the 40 year sentence, and if anyone needs to be "nailed" its whoever impossed the sentence.

So what you are saying that it's okay to put an innocent person in prison for a few years of his her life? What?

The biggest crime here is that he ever went to jail at all from this so called crime.

likeitis at 12:15 PM JST - 20th March You need to back off. You have no idea how much this woman might have been led and coerced into exaggerating and pressing the rape claim.

So if she was coerced into making these false claims it is okay?

If she made false claims she needs to go to prison for a very long long time. I say take the key, melt the sucker and turn off the light. This wench needs to be taken off the streets for the same prison term that they gave the man.

likeitis at 12:15 PM JST - 20th March Further, as I said earlier, it might be that she WAS raped, but is just recanting because the sentence is totally disproportionate.

No, if she was raped she would have been happy with whatever they gave her rapist. Rape is a serious crime, this crime is a violation of a person by another in a savage manner. Rape is not anything that should be taken lightly.

For you to claim that she maybe recanting her claims because she may have felt bad for the guy is very naive. If she was raped she would not feel bad for her rapist, she would want justice. She would not recant because she felt bad for him.