Sometimes people may mistake conduct for something completely different from what the other person intended. Indeed, that may be the case with one North Carolina man who was recently arrested by Charlotte police. The man is now facing a criminal charge of sexual battery following an incident on a bus.
The alleged incident happened on March 13 when the North Carolina man sat next to a woman on a CATS bus. The woman claims that he began rubbing his pelvis area against her buttocks, and she subsequently alerted the bus driver. When she did so, the man reportedly exited the bus. Police arrested the man shortly thereafter near the intersection of Princeton Avenue and Sterling Road.
A local news report mentioned that the man has a lengthy arrest record, including previous arrests for assault on a female. However, it is important to bear in mind that past crimes are no evidence of present guilt. Moreover, in this case, the allegation is that the man rubbed his pelvis area against the woman. Such behavior may well have been offensive to the woman, but the man may not have intended for that action to happen.
In other words, the incident on the bus might just be a misunderstanding. The police, though, have a duty to investigate the matter, and a close analysis of the circumstances may well result in a dismissal of the criminal charges. Additionally, there is the question of the arrest itself. As the arrest appears to have taken place based solely on the accusations of the woman, the validity of the arrest may also be called into question.
Source: The Charlotte Observer, "Man accused of sexually assaulting woman on CATS bus," March 14, 2012
No Comments
Leave a comment