It seems to me that with Mary confessing to everything she did and the reasons why, Matt's culpability for his rape of a minor should have been addressed.
Created: 04/24/20
Replies: 5
Join Date: 01/17/18
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Join Date: 09/03/19
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It does seem as though his probation time or sentencing should have also been for the rape. Does the charge have to be made, since that wasn't a part of the original trial of Elizabeth? Mary didn't seem to want to do that, though I think her mother would have liked to see Matt punished. It wouldn't have been part of the arson and deaths, but he deserved more of a punishment than his wife likely divorcing him.
Join Date: 06/17/13
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Join Date: 10/16/10
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I don't think it was actually rape, was it? It sounded like he kinda forced her to perform a hand job on him (pardon my crudeness here). It sounded like, too, it happened on her birthday and one of the reasons he felt that it was reasonable to proceed was that she was "of age." He certainly took advantage of her.
Join Date: 06/25/13
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I agree with Kim K. It wasn’t rape in its typical form; however it was definitely an inappropriate sexual act with a young woman. I agree that his behavior didn’t seem to rise to the same level of treachery upon which the novel was based. For that reason addressing punishment for Matt May have taken the book in a direction that would be more fractured for the readers.
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