Ending the silence about incest

Last Sunday the Daily Inter Lake did something unusual. We ran a front page story about a criminal and did not identify him. It wasn’t because we wanted to protect him. He deserved public scrutiny and public scorn, but his victims deserved a second chance — a chance to heal from the terrible crime of incest, and a chance to rebuild their lives.

They knew first hand just how much damage incest does to its victims. This man had reached into a family, his very own family, and torn it asunder. He had taken advantage of innocent victims, changed their lives forever, and had gotten away with it for years.

But then something happened.

His victims did the hardest thing in the world — they went public. They told the police, the prosecutors, the judge, the jury, and finally a newspaper reporter what was done to them, how badly it hurt, and how much they yearned for justice.

They told us — and we agreed — that telling their story publicly would be an important part of the healing process. Plus, from our point of view, it was vital for the public to face the ugly truth about incest, to shine a light on it, and to be alert for the possibility it might exist in their own families or in their own neighborhoods.

This is an important story that affects too many families and silence is very definitely not the best policy. It was silence and shame that allowed the crime to continue for as long as it did, and it was courage and conviction that brought the crime to light.

We applaud the two families that talked to us about their lives, their fears, their anger and their concern for the safety of others. It took incredible courage and could very well help other families trying to cope with the same horrific crime.

Editorials represent the majority opinion of the Daily Inter Lake’s editorial board.