Alleged Bengals rape victim may be unable to sue
SEATTUi (AP) — A
woman who says she
was gang-raped by
Cine innati Bt-ngals
players conceded
Tuesdav that she did
not read the release document she signed
for $30.1)00, whit h may bar her from suing
over the alleged assault
•'! didn't think I needed to." the woman,
identified in court records as Victoria C ,
said Tuesday under t ross-exnmination by
team lawyer Robert Stachler of C.incmnnti.
"You didn't look at the title'" Stachler
said
Victoria C. reiterated that she believes the
document was titled "Agreement In fact,
it is titled "Release of All Claims."
Victoria C. said she simply glanced
through the document and "looked at what
ever caught my eye," she said
An exasperated Stachler asked whether
she had glanced at the second paragraph, or
the third clause.
"It doesn't look familiar." the plaintiff
said, perusing the document.
"I just saw $30,000.' and I knew what it
was about." she offered.
Victoria C. said she also did not read the
cover letter from Cincinnati attorney James
Perry, who prepared the release she signed
Oct. 5. 1991 — about a year after the alleged
assault at a Seattle-area hotel.
"I just glanced through it. I didn't read it.
I already knew what to do" from tele
phone conversations with Perry, the plain
tiff said.
Victoria C. said she trusted Perry be< auso
fie was an attorney and "seemed like a nice
man."
Stachler did not complete his cross
examination Tuesday, the seventh day of
the trial and the plaintiffs third day on the
stand. Ho will wrap up his questions Mon
day, when the trial resumes. U S District
Judge Walter McGovern had a prior com
mitment. Attorneys Peter Byrnes and
*I just saw *$30,000,' and I
knew what it was about.'
Victoria C .
alleged rape victim
Silencer Hall, each representing a group of
players, then will question the plaintiff.
Victoria C. is asking pirors to throw out
the release document so she i an proc eed
with her lawsuit against the team and 19
current and former players — 12 accused of
raping her and seven of standing by while
it happened.
Her lawyers contend she did not have
legal counsel at the time and signed under
duress, and that the document provides
inadequate compensation
Defense lawyers contend the release is a
binding contract
"Did the word forfeit jump out at you'"
Stachler asked Tuesday, going over the dot
ument with her
"Yes. I saw that word," Victoria C said
Stachler asked if she understood that the
(locument said she would have to give hai k
the $30,000 if she publicized terms of the
agreement
Victoria C. said Ferry had told her "the
players i otdd sue me if 1 went puhlU with
her allegations, hut that she did not rei all
the provision Stachler was citing.
Stachler suggested that while she had
questioned last May whether the document
she signed was. in fat t, a release, "you now
know it was.”
"I’m not sure whether 1 do or not. \ ic
toria C. said.
"Absolutely absurd." is how Byrnes i bar
acterizod her testimony luesdov Com
menting after the morning session, he not
ed the word "release" is used twice in the
paragraph an inch or so above her signa
ture.
"She knew what that watt," ho st of fed
As for her contention that she trusted
p»rry. Byrnes said 'Would you trust a
group of people who you claim had raped
you?"
Stm hler also went over the plaintiff’s use
of the $.10,000, noting she had sjienl $0. ’11
on a used convertible, paid si\ months' rent
— Sti.HSO — on a house repaid a $0,000
personal loan and spent the balam e of
more than $7,000 on living expenses for
herself, her boyfriend C.reg Gamin and her
four i hildren. one of whom got hrai es
In less than a month. Stachler said, she
had "completely exhausted the $10,000
Stachler suggested she misused the
funds, noting she had told Perry and the
players she needed money to pav for med
ical treatment and i ounseliug lor problems
related to the alleged assault
Victoria (" said she also told Perrv and
the plovers about general finam ml diffit id
ties and that she needed a car
”1 don't spe« ideally remember saving I
was going to use it for all medical to
lames Perrv or the plovers." the plaintiff
said
And while she agreed the players had not
threatened or insulted her when they
pressed her to sign the agreement, she said
she had felt i oert ml
The release dm umenl. whu h released all
parties from liability, was prepared In Per
ry for "certain players The court on Mon
day released the list ot the players hddie
Brown, lames Brooks. Rodney Holman,
Mitt hell Price. Harold Green, James I ran
cis. David Grant. Kevin Walker. Reggie
Remlwrt. Kris Thomas, l< key Woods. Stan
ford fennings. Curl (airier and l.yiin lames
Attorney Spent er Hall, who represents
six players who i ontentl they had i tinsen
stidi sex with the plaintiff, said the list
names all of those who came in cuntat t
with Vit toria (' on the night in question
The plaintiff told (tirors Monday she had
consensual sex with lames
Youth slams
truck into
Helix church
MKUX (AH - A nine-year-old
hoy Inking a |ov ride in a stolen
pic kup true k slammed into the
side of the Helix Community Bap
tist ( hurt h on Sunday, narrow
ly missing the OO-vonr-old build
mg's stained glass windows
There were no injuries among
the id members of the congrega
tion . hut one woman was shak
en up when the pew in which she
was sitting was shoved about a
foot by the impact, said the Ke\
Christine Prescott.
Nil one was hurt, and we
attribute that to the l.ords pro
let lion," Prest ott said
Some congregation members
believed d w as a bomb, and oth
ers thought it was a t rash outside
III the street, she said
"We all went out. and I don't
think anyone espei ted to see a
truck against the building."
Prescott said
The pit kup t rushed into a sup
port |hist. wlm h kept it from coin
ing right through the wall, she
said
"IF it hadn't hit th.it. it would
have come through the wall and
hit who knows how many peo
ple." Prest oil said
The Ihiv was gone when parish
ioners reat hod the trui k. hut Ins
younger brother apparently told
the hoy's parents, who brought
him hat k to the t hurt h 1 here, he
confessed to Umatilla (Utility
Sheriff’s Deputy (.Ion Diehl
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