Kan. man convicted of Craigslist rape found dead

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A man facing nearly 30 years in prison for raping three women who had advertised in the "erotic services" section of Craigslist apparently committed suicide in his Kansas jail cell.

The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office says David Lee Gage of Wichita was found dead around 6:10 a.m. Monday at the county jail.

The 52-year-old from Wichita had been in custody since August 2008. He was awaiting transfer to prison after being convicted in May of seven felony counts, including three counts of rape.

Prosecutors say Gage met the women at motels, then flashed a federal marshal's badge and threatened to arrest them for prostitution if they didn't have sex with him.
The sheriff's office says it's the first suicide in that jail since 2006.

She Cried Rape, But No One Stopped to Help

Thanks to Cindy Coughenour for forwarding this story about a woman attacked in a subway station in full view of a subway clerk and a train conductor.

Police were called, but there is no information on when or if they actually responded to the attack.

There are a number of lessons that this case points out, but the main one I want to emphasize is that you must be prepared to save yourself when no one else can -- or when no one else will.

Does Down Economy Increase Crime?

Article here from the Wall Street Journal questioning whether a perceived rise in crime is a result of a faltering economy.

The general take:

"By and large, the studies show that lousy job markets -- particularly for young or unskilled men -- are linked to more thefts. But the connection isn't so plain with violent crimes like murder and rape. That bolsters the theory of a more rational criminal: When the economy flags, people inclined to crime opt for dishonest income; they don't start shooting people."

San Francisco Women Against Rape Walk

SFWAR (San Francisco Women Against Rape) is organizing its fourth annual event Walk Against Rape on April 25th, 2009. This event is an effort to raise awareness against sexual assault. Walk Against Rape is a collective stride of all individuals as well as communities, who will come together to walk a distance of 3.1 miles, to mark their solidarity in the fight against rape. This rally, which will also recognize the month of April as the Sexual Assault Awareness Month, will start at 10 AM from Justin Herman Plaza and end at Mission Dolores Park.

For 35 years, SFWAR has been providing healing support to sexual violence survivors. Our mission is to provide resources, support, advocacy and education to strengthen the work of all individuals and communities in San Francisco that are struggling relentlessly to end sexual violence. By way of free counseling, free workshops, and a 24 hour hotline, SFWAR is working continuously towards making a safer social environment for all of us to live in.

For more info, contact: walkagainstrape@sfwar.org.

Importance of Resisting Stranger Rape

"In a stranger-rape situation, if he allows you to see his face, you get his name, or you can somehow otherwise identify your attacker, and he knows it, it’s all the more important to get away from him, even if he has a knife and you are risking injury. Because unless he’s quite inexperienced, he’s likely to kill you to leave no witnesses."

John Douglas, legendary FBI profiler