First of all if Ms. Bertzikis is reading this I want to thank you for your service.
I am disgusted as most of you are that a rape victim name has been dragged into this small town politics/drama. It is clearly that Ms. Parella and the town council for Bristol, RI has a serious issue on their hand.
I have done some research prior to posting this comment. It didn't take long for me to find out that Ms. Bertzikis has a very impressive background. In 2010 she was awarded Massachusetts Unsung Heroine Award for her work in helping veterans and military members that have been assaulted.
Senator Jehlen from Massachusetts had the following to say about Panayiota Bertzikis: “Panayiota is an individual who bravely survived a trauma and used the experience to create something that help
Rep. Denise Provost from Massachusetts said: "It’s only because of institutions like the Unsung Heroine Awards that we fully appreciate all the good that people like Ms. Bertzikis are doing in our community.”
http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/news/x1332176004/Sen-Jehlen-lauds-Somerville-s-Unsung-Heroine
Congresswoman Jackie Speier from California called Panayiota a "shero" and praised her for her work. Congresswoman Speier dedicated a speech on the House floor for the amazing work that Panayiota Bertzikis is doing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0LY3sc-OnM
Just this month Glamour magazine and Boston magazine published articles about Ms. Bertzikis' rape case. What was more upsetting to read than the act of rape it self is the command's response to the rape. The command being Gregg Marsili.
Now, I am not saying that false allegations do not happen HOWEVER when an individual has been working full time for the past 7 years on military rape issues it is highly unlikely that they are not telling the truth. I believe her.
In the past year there have been 3 congressional hearings on the subject of rape in the military. The Military Rape Crisis Center (the organization that Panayiota Bertzikis founded) testified in one of those hearings. If the allegations were false the United States Congress would not have invited her organization and a staff member from that organization to testify before the Congress.
The Coast Guard has a ridicules low prosecution rate for rape. Boston magazine reported that .9% of all rape cases go to trial. In other words 99.1% of rapes in the Coast Guard are said to be "unfound". This is a very depressing statistic.
The rape in Burlington, VT has been in the news since as far back as 2006. Gregg Marsili name was attached to the rape case almost from the start. This is not a scenario in which Marsili name was brought out of the blue when he was elected Harbormaster. If Ms. Parella did her research she would have seen creditable information that might have changed her decision on who to appoint as harbormaster. If Ms. Parella and the town council actually took the time to conduct a real investigation on this matter the town would not be in the national spotlight for discrediting a disabled veteran and rape survivor.
The town council for the town of Bristol, RI has conducted the investigation the same exact way that the Coast Guard has the reputation of investigating rapes: They took a broom, lifted up the rug and swept the allegations right under.
Ms. Parella was incorrect when she said that Gregg Marsili did not commit a criminal act. Under the UCMJ Gregg Marsili violated Article 134: Obstruction of Justice among other charges. This is indeed more than just "judgement" of how he handled a brutal rape.
Now I want to mention a bit about the Bristol Phoenix attempt to discredit a disabled veteran. Panayiota Bertzikis has served her country honorably. Most will agree that she continues to serve her country every day through her organization. Reading the comments from her husband and others it is clear that she is suffering from physical and psychological injuries that resulted from her military service. Our young injured troops deserve the upmost respect when they come home from their military service. We, as a nation should support our troops. Suicide rate among veterans is at an all time high and as a nation we are partly to blame. We allowed individuals such as Christine O'Connor, Scott Pickering and Mary Parella to bring down out disabled veterans. This article from the Bristol Phoenix disrespect all veterans, rape survivors and the nation. Enough is enough.
Christine O'Connor, Scott Pickering and Mary Parella should all step down from their positions for their failed attempt to discredit a disabled veteran and a rape victim.
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