A man has been released from prison after serving almost 30 years for a crime he didn’t commit, with the victim of the crime helping secure his release.
Patrick Brown was falsely convicted of raping his six-year-old stepdaughter in 1994.
During Brown’s trial, the victim did not give evidence; instead the court heard from adults who ‘testified to what they believed she had said’, a release from Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office explains.
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Since 2002, the victim has repeatedly insisted that Brown was not the man who raped her, has made numerous calls to have the case reviewed, and urged them to attempt to prosecute the real offender.
District Attorney Jason Williams launched a re-investigation into the case and found that ’the evidence corroborated the victim’s account, which has remained steadfast for over 20 years’.
The DA’s Office has since ordered the release of Brown, who spent 29 years in jail.
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Civil Rights Division Chief Emily Maw said: “This case presents multiple injustices: 1. the wrong man has been in prison for 29 years, 2. the right man was not fully investigated and prosecuted, and 3. this victim has endured not just the deep trauma of child sexual assault, but the trauma of knowing the wrong man has been imprisoned for almost three decades while the man who raped her walked free.
"This is a very sad case, but we are hopeful that this will bring some closure to the victim and that she, and Mr. Brown, can move forward in healing.”
District Attorney Williams said: “Listening and engaging victims and survivors of sexual assault is a top priority in this office.
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"It is incredibly disheartening to know that this woman was dismissed and ignored, no matter how inconvenient her truth, when all she wanted was the real offender to be held responsible.
“When someone is wrongfully convicted, not only is it an injustice for the person who has years of their life stolen, but it is an injustice for the victim and the people of New Orleans because the real perpetrator is left to harm others.
“This is why I launched the Civil Rights Division to ensure that we are correcting the sins of the past and holding the right people accountable. I am thankful for the hard work of Civil Rights Division Chief Emily Maw and her team of ADAs on this important case.”
Claire Reid