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Fake Rape Claim Puts Woman in Prison
A New York woman who falsely claimed she had been raped was sentenced in February 2010 to 1 to 3 years in prison on perjury charges.
In 2005, Biurny Peguero Gonzalez told investigators that William McCaffrey, a Bronx construction worker, raped her at knifepoint. Gonzalez had accepted a ride from McCaffrey, who had a lengthy criminal record. But there was no rape. Instead, Gonzalez made up the incident to garner sympathy from her friends, who were mad at her for ditching them and leaving with McCaffrey.
McCaffrey was convicted and sentenced to 20 years. He served about three years before being released in December 2009 after Gonzalez admitted she had lied and DNA tests revealed that bite marks on her arm were not from McCaffrey.
“What happened in this case is one of the worst things that can happen in our criminal justice system,” stated Judge Charles Solomon, when sentencing Gonzalez.
McCaffrey said he wished Gonzalez “the best of luck,” and hoped she “doesn’t go through” what he went through in prison. He noted that someone who would “lie and paint somebody as a rapist is worse than a real rapist or a real murderer.”
McCaffrey also blamed “the arresting officers, the prosecution” and other officials in the justice system who “wanted to believe the lie, the ADA [assistant district attorney] first and foremost.”
The prosecutor in Gonzalez’s case had asked for a sentence of 2 to 6 years “so that there’s a chance that she will serve what he served.” Instead, Gonzalez will be eligible for parole after only one year.
Sources: www.nydailynews.com, www.gothamist.com, New York Post
In 2005, Biurny Peguero Gonzalez told investigators that William McCaffrey, a Bronx construction worker, raped her at knifepoint. Gonzalez had accepted a ride from McCaffrey, who had a lengthy criminal record. But there was no rape. Instead, Gonzalez made up the incident to garner sympathy from her friends, who were mad at her for ditching them and leaving with McCaffrey.
McCaffrey was convicted and sentenced to 20 years. He served about three years before being released in December 2009 after Gonzalez admitted she had lied and DNA tests revealed that bite marks on her arm were not from McCaffrey.
“What happened in this case is one of the worst things that can happen in our criminal justice system,” stated Judge Charles Solomon, when sentencing Gonzalez.
McCaffrey said he wished Gonzalez “the best of luck,” and hoped she “doesn’t go through” what he went through in prison. He noted that someone who would “lie and paint somebody as a rapist is worse than a real rapist or a real murderer.”
McCaffrey also blamed “the arresting officers, the prosecution” and other officials in the justice system who “wanted to believe the lie, the ADA [assistant district attorney] first and foremost.”
The prosecutor in Gonzalez’s case had asked for a sentence of 2 to 6 years “so that there’s a chance that she will serve what he served.” Instead, Gonzalez will be eligible for parole after only one year.
Sources: www.nydailynews.com, www.gothamist.com, New York Post
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