William Beebe, a man convicted of rape after he sent a letter of apology to his victim 21 years after raping her, is scheduled for parole just six months into his 10-year jail sentence. His sentence had already been reduced to 18 months, as long as he performs 500 hours of community service related to sexual assault and alcohol abuse on college campuses.
In 2005, Beebe sent an apologetic letter to Liz Seccuro as part of the Alcoholics Anonymous program, confessing that he had assaulted her at a University of Virginia fraternity party. She later reported him, and he pled guilty to aggravated sexual battery. Seccuro was “shocked” to discover that Beebe would not have to serve his full time and that she wasn’t asked to speak to the parole board, according to ABC News. “If Virginia is so very proud of the fact that there is no statute of limitations on rape, then the sentencing has to follow suit,” she said.
Seccuro went public with her story in the hope that she would encourage other survivors to do the same. She founded STARS — Sisters Together Assisting Rape Survivors — to raise money for rape victims and their families.
