Rape suspect treated as guilty — until charges dropped

Why is it that when a suspected rapist or pedophile is charged, his name and picture is plastered all over the media? Whatever happened to "innocent until proven guilty?" Don't get me wrong, I believe rapists and child abusers should be locked up, but it seems they are pretty much dead meat long before going to trial.

A perfect example is the recent article about a Havre de Grace man, Robert Pole, who gets his name in the newspaper as a possible rape suspect ("Rape charges dropped in Havre de Grace case," Dec. 9).

After many months of looking at all the evidence, including no matching DNA and differing accounts by the accuser, the case was dropped by the state. To make matters worse, the man is deaf and mute, and he spent months in jail. I believe the accuser in this matter should have her name published and smeared all over the media. The accuser should also be held accountable for financial restitution at the very least and should possibly be sued for defamation.

I'll bet Mr. Pole did not get as much as an apology from anyone.

Brian Spector, Easton