Hello, this letter is in response to an e-mail sent to your paper from Heidi Krumreich of Winona Lake.
I'd like to first say that I will be referring to the victim as a survivor, for she endured more than any of us will ever have to and continues to endure the emotional aftereffects of such a violent and humiliating event. While I agree that the details of her attack are horrible, and I appreciate Ms. Krumreich's sensitivity about the re-living of these horrible acts, I believe very strongly that media coverage of such details are important. In fact, I'm disappointed that there wasn't more coverage from local papers.
Please consider that there may potentially be other victims in the area and surrounding areas to whom these details would be helpful. This man had been walking the streets for three years after doing this, please keep that in mind. I think too often we look away when something is frightening and, in fact, we should be staring that right in the face and challenging it.
This awful thing happened in your community and it is important to realize the details of that horror. I commend the Times-Union for publishing excerpts from the survivor's testimony, they've given her a small voice in this that so few people have without glamorizing the viciousness the way the media often does.
The Survivor's Sister
Please note, I am the survivor's sister. I would rather my name not be published. But I thought it was important to respond to this message that I read on your Web site.
*****
Editor's Note: In order to protect the identity of the victim, the Times-Union is making an exception to its policy of including the name and hometown of letter writers.
