<p>poor kid. so sad, the missed opportunity when his own mother reported his behavior changes and suicide attempt and wasn’t listened to.</p>
<p><a href=“Sandusky Son Went From Supporter to Accuser - The New York Times”>Sandusky Son Went From Supporter to Accuser - The New York Times;
<p>Sandusky Son With Troubled Past Went From Ally to Accuser</p>
<p>After reading this article, it appears Sandusky used the same grooming tactics on Matt as he did with the other boys.
Can you imagine being in his situation as a kid? He was powerless against Sandusky.</p>
<p>One problem I have with this kind of case is that at a certain point, I don’t believe anybody who has any connection with it is telling the full truth.</p>
<p>Btw, they painted over Sandusky’s picture on the mural a few days after the initial arrest in November. What they did now was replace with someone else. For the past few months, there were just the blue ribbons where Sandusky was.</p>
<p>Hunt–are you thinking Matt is not being truthful? </p>
<p>from my knowledge working with victims of sexual abuse his actions and behavior are quite typical. his initial behavior was significant acting out, then a suicide attempt, then he seemed to acquiesce after the court ruled to keep him with Sandusky. It appears he denied and hid the abuse even from himself, which sadly is not uncommon. He may have needed the awareness that Sandusky was going to likely end up in jail before revealing his own truth.</p>
<p>I noted that he is working with a therapist and may be recovering memories. I’m skeptical of that, usually. People may not be telling the full truth even if they think they are.</p>
<p>people do in fact recover memories. I understand you may be skeptical of that. Do you think the victims who testified were telling the truth? some of them also worked with therapists.</p>
<p>My cynical view is that probably none of the witnesses on either side were telling the full truth. There was more than enough to convict Sandusky, though.</p>
<p>That NBC story is heart-breaking. Can you imagine seeing the boy who “replaced” you testifying on stand and knowing that you lied to the grand jury? I understand Hunt’s skepticism about recovered memories, but no one has disputed his attempted suicide. I believe him and think there’s more there but that he just can’t go there yet.</p>
<p>unfortunately, people being skeptical of children/teens even adults revealing sexual abuse years later is one of the reasons people don’t ever come forward. they don’t think they will be believed, and it is quite painful to even psychologically go there. I hope this terrible episode opens people’s minds to recognize that most people who report sexual abuse are in fact telling the truth.</p>
<p>Many people don’t want to believe this type of abuse occurs and are skeptical of the truth. Unfortunately, it does, sometimes right under their noses, i.e. Paterno, Mrs. Sandusky, Curly, Shultz, Second Mile, etc.</p>
<p>Grcxx3, I think I can understand that you feel piled on. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I will not be popping champagne if Penn State is punished by the NCAA. In fact, I would advocate NO sanctions against the program – IF genuine contrition were being expressed by the highest echelons of the university, or if the university were accepting any responsiblity for its role in this tragedy. If I were hearing that, I would have hope that the culture might change.</p>
<p>So far, though, what I’m hearing is carefully-crafted statements which seem designed to acknowledge what cannot be credibly denied, and to deflect blame for the rest. The official statement spoke of “Sandusky’s victims” without mentioning the university’s role in enabling his 20-year rampage on their campus. That is not accepting responsibility. It also talked about “private” settlements with the victims, meaning that there would be a non-disclosure clause whereby no one would ever know how much the victims would get. That sounds more like CYA than contrition. </p>
<p>Please understand me – I have no particular feelings about Penn State (I’m a Pac-8 alum; PSU just wasn’t on our radar). And I love college football. My feelings would be the same if it were my own alma mater, or if the sport were badminton. It became too important; can we agree on that? And can we agree that thus far, the university seems mostly concerned with protecting itself? That’s where I have a problem, and it gives me no joy to say it. Too many people were too badly hurt to feel any joy in any of this.</p>
<p>
Of course. But there are McMartin Preschool cases, too. The awfulness of an allegation is neither a reason to believe it or to disbelieve it. Evidence is required. As I said, in the case of Sandusky, it appears pretty clear that there was plenty of evidence.</p>
<p>Most likely there are more victims who will never come forward.</p>
<p>The NCAA has sanctioned schools for allowing recruits on official visits to run through the smoke tunnel onto the field (it happend at mine) There’s no way there aren’t sanctions. Schools have been sanctioned for “lack of institutional control” for MUCH less.</p>
<p>I think the NCAA has to issue sanctions of some type, just for consistancy. If “lack of insitutional control” can result in significant sanctions, where the issue did not involve any criminal activity or any school admin, how can they not sanction PSU?</p>
<p>That being said, the football program doesn’t need to end. It needs to be a football program. The coach needs to be compensated, but not the highest paid person on campus. And the retired staff does not need keys to the buildings when they have been asked to stay out of those buildings. Collect the keys or change the locks. </p>
<p>I do hope the new child abuse awareness program is well funded. It sounds like something that could be a positive force for the future.</p>
<p>If this had been little girls, I think the men involved might have taken the issue more seriously, but as it was little boys, somehow, like the church, they just dont seem to think there is much damage. It’s has nothing to do with homosexuality, that we know, asnthis is about sex with children. However, they just don’t think boys can be raped or assaulted.</p>
<p>To be rehabilitated, they really need to do something about the JoePa legacy. Since we know from the grand jury that McQ told JoePa he had seen anal sex with the boy, and with the exception of sending the story downstairs (having watered it down), JoePa did nothing and raked it in for the next almost 10 years while other boys were raped, either JoePa didn’t believe it (and hence employed on his staff a young man who he believe told heinous lies about his former staff and closest associate for 30 years), or he knew (and perhaps had known for a long time) but was making too much money and had too much power and revealing the truth threatened both, or he really believed that the rape of boys just isn’t a serious thing. You can take your pick.</p>
<p>PSU is tainted, and I think, forever, unless they tackle the JoePA legacy head on.</p>
<p>Given Paterno’s passing, I don’t think PSU will be addressing the Paterno issue at all. I would imagine it is seen as creating too much emotion, and the obvious that he can not defend himself.</p>
<p>
We don’t “know” this, because all we have from the grand jury is a summary of uncrossexamined testimony. Was McQ asked about this at the trial?</p>