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| When Rape Allegations Don't Add Up, Reputations Get Tarnished | ||||||
| Katelyn Kristine Faber may be a name that many reading this have never heard before. Up until early July of this year, the 19-year-old Faber led a normal life, went to the University of Northern Colorado, and worked at a posh Edwards, Colo., hotel called the Lodge and Spa at Cordillera. Everything changed, however, when Faber accused Los Angeles Lakers star, Kobe Bryant, of sexual assault. In the end, Bryant could face a possible sentence of life in prison. Is Kobe guilty of raping the 19-year-old hotel concierge? I do not believe so, and after reading this, I think you, too, will agree. | ||||||
| First of all, let me clear something up that it seems many people do not understand. Adultery, which is obviously unethical, is not a crime, and Bryant has admitted that he and Faber had sex the night of June 30. What is at stake here is not the immoral nature of Bryant's adultery; it is whether or not Faber was raped. That being said, the evidence brought forth as of yet clearly raises an eyebrow to Faber's accusations. | ||||||
| Let us consider an interesting piece of evidence that the defense raised issue with in the preliminary hearing on Wed., Oct. 15 - a pair of underpants that Faber wore to her rape examination the day following the alleged sexual assault. The panties contained traces of blood, as well as "sperm from another man, along with a pubic hair that wasn't Kobe's," according to a report on http://www.thedenverchannel.com/, home of the ABC News affiliate in Denver. Things got even stranger when Pamela Mackey, Bryant's attorney, questioned Eagle County Detective Doug Winters, the official who interviewed Faber following the alleged rape. Winters affirmed that Faber's underwear not only contained semen and pubic hair from another man, but also admitted that since Faber made the accusation, no DNA testing had been done to determine whom the contents of the underwear belonged to! Shouldn't this have been done by now? By no means am I an attorney or investigator, it just seems to me that this little test would be first on any list of priorities! | ||||||
| Other interesting tidbits come in light of comments friends and acquaintances of Faber have made to various members of the media, regarding her past. One bizarre report, for example, came from NBC News, regarding a party that Faber allegedly attended "just days before charges were filed against Bryant." A number of teens that were at the party said Faber "appeared to be in a good mood," boasted about the episode, and even "described Bryant's anatomy when asked." In addition to this, media has reported that Faber not only overdosed on pills "about a month before the alleged sexual assault incident," but also had two previous suicide attempts, the latest occurring in May. Even the first person Faber saw after the alleged attack, a coworker at the hotel, in a letter to police said that Faber did not appear distraught or act as if anything unusual had occurred. Does this sound like the way someone who was really a victim would act? Is this normal emotional and psychological behavior? Something does not seem to add up here. | ||||||
| To add insult to injury, Faber was not even forced to testify at the preliminary trial after her attorneys said "it would subject her to unnecessary anxiety and intimidation." I find it interesting that she brought the allegations forth, yet can't even appear in court! Does anybody else find this absolutely outrageous? Furthermore, she did not seem to be too "anxious" or "intimidated" when she allegedly described Kobe's penis to attendees at the aforementioned party! | ||||||
| So far, in light of all the evidence and events that have taken place, in my eyes it is Bryant who has been the true victim. The rape allegations have not only tarnished his name and reputation, but have also cost him endorsements "worth at least $20 million a year," according to Denver's ABC News affiliate. Should Bryant be found innocent, it is unknown if his previous sponsors will endorse him again, and if they choose not to, it will seem as if he really lost. Right now, it seems like this is a no-win situation for Bryant, but hopefully justice will prevail. | ||||||
| Copyright Gerry Wachovsky, 2003, and Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. | ||||||
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