Section A · Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Friday, October 31, 1997
KU law students confront emotional side of rape trial
Forum recognizes abuse awareness
Loretta Pyles, director of fund raising and community affairs for Women's Transi- tional Care Services answers questions during an open forum on domestic violence. The forum yesterday in Green Hall was part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Photo by Laurie Fletchall/KANSAN
The brown-bag forum allowed future attorneys to step away
By Rachelle Datweiler
rdetweiler@kansan.com
Kansan writer
She was sleeping and did not hear the creaks of the intruder's steps, but a punch to her face jolted her awake.
Lawrence resident Meredith Wales' voice trembled while she told of the night she left the front door unlocked.
Yesterday was not the first time Wales had relived the night.
"I'm one of the lucky ones," Wales said. "I could identify him and go through the whole court system."
She said that she felt lucky. The defense attorney was not too aggressive during questioning.
"It shocked me," Wales said. "It completely threw me off when I had to identify this clothing that was bloody."
Wales spoke at a forum yesterday at the University of Kansas School of Law to commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month. KU Women in Law sponsored the annual event, which helped law students understand the emotional difficulties attached to rape and domestic violence trials.
The rape trial Wales endured placed four guilty verdicts on the intruder.
LAST 3 DAYS
Wales said she had expected pain but was not completely prepared for some aspects of the trial.
Meredith Wales
rape survival
from their books and step into the community that they will represent, said Jennifer Roth. Salina third-year law student and event organizer.
In addition to Wales, three local representatives who help survivors of domestic violence spoke to the group of about 15 students.
A recurring problem within the judicial system is that some survivors are unwilling to pursue criminal charges, said Dolores Moseley, victim/witness coordinator for the district attorney's office.
Moseley said that a newlypassed law making arrests mandatory in domestic violence responses could make the situation more emotionally trying for women.
In severe cases, a woman could be held in contempt of court for avoiding court and the emotional stress of a trial, she said.
Attending a rape trial could help law students understand the emotional aspects of trials and could better prepare the students for their careers, said Loretta Pyles, a Women's Transitional Care Services director.
If law students want to effectively help survivors through court proceedings, they must evaluate their prejudices about violence and rape, said Sara Russell, executive director of Rape Victim Survivor Service.
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