UPDATE: Below the back story.
While numbers of child abuse continue to rise every year, many victims still trust the law would help them find justice. That’s why a judge in Michigan was under fire after giving joint custody of the child who is the fruit of his sexual assault in 2008.
The Sanilac County Michigan Circuit Judge Gregory S. Ross agreed to grant Christopher Mirasolo legal custody and parenting time with the 8-year-old boy that was a product of rape. Her decision sparks major controversy across the country.
Mirasolo, who raped the 12-year-old girl nine years ago, couldn’t be happier to have won in court over the victim he abused years before.
But none of the party have requested it according to the rapist’s attorney, Barbara Yockey. “Mirasolo “never initiated this [custody hearing]. It was something routinely done by the prosecutor’s office when a party makes application for state assistance.”
The victim cannot believe that justice has failed her. Now she has spoken of the ordeal.
“I don’t understand why they thought they needed to give him joint legal custody,” the victim, agreed to go on camera but asked that only her first name- Tiffany, be used. “He was my rapist.”
“I was kidnapped for two days. I didn’t know if I was ever going to go home. He threatened to kill me and my best friend if we told anyone,” she continued. “I have been taking care of [my son] for eight years. I gave up high school, I gave up prom, I gave up my friends to raise a baby and go to work.”
The victim’s attorney, Rebecca Kiessling, was also outraged that the court had initiated the rapist’s paternal custody hearing.
“This is insane,” Kiessling said. “Nothing has been right about this since it was originally investigated. He was never properly charged and should still be sitting behind bars somewhere, but the system is victimizing my client, who was a child herself when this all happened.”
Instead of supporting this victim of sexual assault, the court has decided to pair her with the man who raped her for the rest of her child’s life.
Meanwhile, Judge Ross rescheduled a hearing for Tuesday after controversy erupted over his ruling. She claimed that she didn’t know 27-year-old Christopher Mirasolo had two criminal sexual conduct convictions, including one concerning the woman.
In a statement released to the Port Huron Times Herald, Sanilac County Prosecutor James Young said he wanted to “express our apologies for the manner in which this case was handled.” The office says it plans to conduct an internal review of how cases like Tiffany are handled and make any appropriate changes.
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UPDATE:
A Michigan judge has rescinded a controversial order he gave last month granting a convicted rapist joint legal custody of the child conceived when he attacked a 12-year-old girl in 2008.
Sanilac County Judge Gregory Ross ruled Tuesday that 27-year-old Christopher Mirasolo won’t have any parental rights in connection to the 8-year-old boy. But he’s still on the hook for child support.
Michigan Supreme Court spokesman John Nevin told The Associated Press last week that Ross didn’t know 27-year-old Christopher Mirasolo had two criminal sexual conduct convictions, including one concerning the woman.
Read more: CBS