Rape Victim Arrested And Denied Contraception

[dawn9476]

This woman in Tampa was raped. She went to a rape crisis center and received two doses of Plan B. One to be taken right away and the next to be taken 12 hours later. Then she went to report the rape to the police and ended up being arrested because she had failed to pay restitution and failure to appear on another matter. When she requested her plan B pill the next morning, a guard wouldn't give it to her because it was against that guard's religious beliefs. ::SMH::

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/06/26 ... ed-to-sue/

[BravaAmica]

Holy fuck. Is that even legal- do corrections officers fall under a moral objection clause when dispensing legal prescriptions to prisonsers?!???

If not, I would sue them. And then I would sue some more.

[Angri-la]

Holy fuck. Is that even legal- do corrections officers fall under a moral objection clause when dispensing legal prescriptions to prisonsers?!???

If not, I would sue them. And then I would sue some more.

The guard better end up on the inside for this. Total and complete bullshit.

[Anxious Girl]

The guard better end up on the inside for this. Total and complete bullshit.

This. Oh so much.

[BravaAmica]

The guard better end up on the inside for this. Total and complete bullshit.

No kidding. I do not understand moral/religious objections when dispensing legitimate prescription medication. I understand that pharmacists are trained medical professionals. And lord knows a few different pharmacists have caught prescription mistakes, noticed that one drug would contraindicate another and have given me awesome advice on first aid and when to go to the doctor. But if you're going to have a problem dispensing legitimate prescription medication, you're in the wrong line of work.

[shesinsane]

On the one hand, had the victim showed up for her court date and paid her fines, she wouldn't have been arrested. On the other hand, surely someone in the Tampa PD had the power to escort the woman out a side door after she had completed reporting her rape, instead of arresting her.

In a perfect world, Michele Spinelli will develop type 1 diabetes (if she doesn't already have it), and get locked up for a minor infraction only to be guarded by a Christian Scientist (or anyone who's religion believes in prayer over insulin).

[margiebargie]

Wow. This is just hideous.

On the moral/religious objection thing. When you are an inmate you do not have the option to walk over to another pharmacy. You simply have to go without your medication. This is unacceptable. Does a prison doctor whose a Jehovah's Witness get to deny an inmate a blood transfusion?

[valsa]

Holy fuck, that's bullshit (not the arrest, which I can unfortunately understand, but the refusal of medication)

So does that mean any HIV+ prisoner can be denied their meds by a homophobe? Can prisoners bleeding to death be denied blood transfusions by JW or CS guards? I hope whoever denied this woman her medication gets thrown in prison (unfortunately, in this country, they probably won't even be fired)

[Buzzard]

She'll win that one. The guard was correct in confiscating the pill (they never know what it actually is - it could be laced with something awesome), but incorrect in refusing to give the medication. If they're opposed to it, they need to notify someone else who can administer it. I'm sure there is more to this story. I'd be interested to see if anyone else was notified, if anyone tried to get her to a DR, if anyone contacted the crisis center to verify etc.

[velly]

Not going to say anything on the arrest because it was legit (to be honest the title lead me to believe she was arrested for reporting the rape, which I know to have happened). But that guard BEST BE ARRESTED or I would almost be willing to go through the humiliation that is the immigrations procedures of the US just to smack a bitch.

[doggie]

This is what has been pissing me off so much. Christians screaming persecution and loss of rights But it is perfectly ok to take someone Else's rights away even when it has nothing to do with them. Religion is more important then the people it serves.

[Conuly]

On the one hand, had the victim showed up for her court date and paid her fines, she wouldn't have been arrested. On the other hand, surely someone in the Tampa PD had the power to escort the woman out a side door after she had completed reporting her rape, instead of arresting her.

I don't think anybody thinks the arrest is the issue. (Although I must say that if she'd done anything very serious she probably would not have shown up to the cops at all. It's a ticket, not a bank robbery.)

The issue is that the guards should not have the power to deny medication to prisoners. Period.

[JesusFightClub]

They did to me, when I was in the jail, but not for religious reasons - it was like Buzzard said, even though it was in the packet, they had to check it. But Plan B is time critical so the guard should have got it checked fast, not refused on religious grounds (and stupid grounds at that seeing as there's Biblical precident for something like a Plan B).

[keeperrox]

On the one hand, had the victim showed up for her court date and paid her fines, she wouldn't have been arrested. On the other hand, surely someone in the Tampa PD had the power to escort the woman out a side door after she had completed reporting her rape, instead of arresting her.

The one has absolutely nothing to do with the other.

In a perfect world, Michele Spinelli will develop type 1 diabetes (if she doesn't already have it), and get locked up for a minor infraction only to be guarded by a Christian Scientist (or anyone who's religion believes in prayer over insulin).

And you're a horrible person. Wishing incarceration is one thing. Wishing a potentially deadly disease is another.

[Mela99]

Unreal. What planet are we currently living on?

If she'd gotten pregnant, I would have sued her ass off [spinelli] for child support for 18 years.

[RR88]

The guard, in my opinion, should be financially responsible for any resulting abortion or child.

[Visionoyahweh]

This happened in my neck of the woods, but thankfully not my county. To give you an idea of how this police department is run: they tasered a man in a wheelchair.

The event in the article happened in '07, I believe.

[Frumpalicious]

I can't even. Just. What the everloving fuck?

[Maude]

This happened in my neck of the woods, but thankfully not my county. To give you an idea of how this police department is run: they tasered a man in a wheelchair.

The event in the article happened in '07, I believe.

This almost made me cry. Tasering a man in a wheelchair, and now denying a woman her meds...I just...wow. :angry-banghead:

[Visionoyahweh]

This almost made me cry. Tasering a man in a wheelchair, and now denying a woman her meds...I just...wow. :angry-banghead:

I'm SO sorry. I've got tasers on my mind and remembered incorrectly. They didn't taser him. THEY TOSSED A QUADRIPLEGIC MAN OUT OF HIS WHEELCHAIR. Here's the video:

So glad I live in another county.

[StarrieEyedKat]

I'm SO sorry. I've got tasers on my mind and remembered incorrectly. They didn't taser him. THEY TOSSED A QUADRIPLEGIC MAN OUT OF HIS WHEELCHAIR. Here's the video:

So glad I live in another county.

... :o

[Visionoyahweh]

I DO remember there being some tasering indecent with the Tampa PD, but my google fu is week today.

[Maude]

I'm SO sorry. I've got tasers on my mind and remembered incorrectly. They didn't taser him. THEY TOSSED A QUADRIPLEGIC MAN OUT OF HIS WHEELCHAIR. Here's the video:

So glad I live in another county.

You have nothing to apologize for. Tossing a quadriplegic out of his wheelchair is just as horrifying. I don't understand how a person can do something like that and not be considered a criminal or a psych case themselves.

[BabyFullOfSin]

disgusting - if your religion prevents you from doing your job properly, you need a new job or a new religion - end of story

[emmiedahl]

disgusting - if your religion prevents you from doing your job properly, you need a new job or a new religion - end of story

I completely agree. I think a lot of professions are trying to screen this out. Several of my friends who applied to medical school last year were asked if there were any legal medical procedures or treatments that they had an objection to.