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May 08, 2005
Child-rapist gets prison sentence
SPRINGFIELD - The little girl was 9 years old when Walter Ramos of Holyoke began forcibly raping her and threatening her and her mother with death if she reported it.
At age 13, in October 2003, the girl had had enough and she told her mother, setting into motion a series of events that ended Thursday when Ramos, 34, pleaded guilty to the four years of rape and threats and was sentenced to 10-12 years in state prison.
The girl, her mother and her aunt were in court for the sentencing, but chose not to come into the courtroom until after Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth G. Dineen recounted the specific details of the continuing forcible rapes over the years.
Among the 21 criminal counts - in addition to multiple counts of rape of a child with force - were two charges of intimidating a witness, three of violating an abuse prevention order the family had against him after the sexual abuse was discovered and two of threatening to commit a crime. Some of those threats were from prison, attempts to silence the girl and her family.
Ramos knew the Holyoke girl through a relationship with her family.
Dineen read the girl's statement to Judge Thomas J. Curley. The girl said that "since Walter abused me I am constantly thinking about it." She said she is very depressed, can't concentrate and does not like to go out or attend to school.
"I want all of this to be finished so I can just go on with my life," she said.
Dineen praised the girl's mother and aunt for their immediate support of the girl. The mother, in a statement to the judge, said she no longer trusts anyone, is going to therapy and has had to take medication.
"I want Walter Ramos to pay for what he did and the problems he has caused," the mother said, flanked by victim-witness advocate Margaret Piela and Holyoke police detective Jennifer J. Sattler.
Dineen said Sattler and a state police trooper flew to Puerto Rico with a warrant to pick up Ramos, who had fled after being accused.
Defense lawyer Kim C. Rosen said that Ramos suffers from several mental health problems as well as testicular cancer, but was found competent to stand trial.
Curley praised the girl, her mother and her aunt. He told the girl that with the character and courage she has shown, she will be able to make things work out in her life.
Posted by Nealus at May 8, 2005 08:36 PM
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