Forced Confessions, False Imprisonment for the Central Park 5
Who Are the REAL Criminals?
September 8, 2014 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
On September 5, a $41 million settlement was reached in the case of the Central Park 5, five teenagers unjustly convicted on the basis of forced confessions and then imprisoned for many years for the 1989 beating and rape of a female jogger in New York City.
The FACT that this system committed a CRIME—that it terrorized, railroaded, and then stole many years of life from Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana Jr., and Kharey Wise is indisputable. But the city's settlement states: "The City of New York has denied and continues to deny that it and the individually named defendants have committed any violations of law or engaged in any wrongful acts concerning or related to any allegations that were or could have been alleged." And Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., the current district attorney, said, "After more than a decade in which numerous parties have investigated and litigated the case, there has been no finding of wrongdoing or unprofessional behavior by any of the prosecutors involved."
Here's what "professional behavior means" for the City of New York and the NYPD:
The police rounded up five teenagers, 14-16 years old. They were not allowed legal advice, couldn't talk to their families, were interrogated for hours until they broke down and "confessed." Four of them spent about seven years in prison and one of them served 13 years. Only later were these men given their freedom—when it came out that all of them were completely innocent.
The authorities constantly preach to the youth about "personal responsibility." BUT because the NYPD and the prosecutor's office are enforcers for a system of exploitation and oppression, "professional conduct" means never having to "take responsibility" or be held accountable for the crimes they commit against the people.
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