Author Alice Sebold apologizes to man cleared in 1981 rape

NEW YORK – Author Alice Sebold publically apologized Tuesday to the antheral who was exonerated past week successful the 1981 rape that was the ground for her memoir “Lucky" and said she was struggling with the relation she played “within a strategy that sent an guiltless antheral to jail.”

Anthony Broadwater, 61, was convicted successful 1982 of raping Sebold erstwhile she was a pupil astatine Syracuse University. He served 16 years successful prison. His condemnation was overturned Nov. 22 aft prosecutors reexamined the lawsuit and determined determination were superior flaws successful his apprehension and trial.

In a connection released to The Associated Press and aboriginal posted connected Medium, Sebold, the writer of the novels “The Lovely Bones” and “The Almost Moon," wrote to Broadwater that she was genuinely atrocious for what he'd been through.

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“I americium atrocious astir of each for the information that the beingness you could person led was unjustly robbed from you, and I cognize that nary apology tin alteration what happened to you and ne'er will,” she wrote.

She wrote that “as a traumatized 18-year-old rape victim, I chose to enactment my religion successful the American ineligible system. My extremity successful 1982 was justness — not to perpetuate injustice. And surely not to forever, and irreparably, change a young man’s beingness by the precise transgression that had altered mine."

In a connection issued by his lawyers, Broadwater said helium was “relieved that she has apologized."

He went on, “It indispensable person taken a batch of courageousness for her to bash that. It’s inactive achy to maine due to the fact that I was wrongfully convicted, but this volition assistance maine successful my process to travel to bid with what happened.”

Sebold wrote successful 1999's “Lucky” of being raped and past spotting a Black antheral successful the thoroughfare respective months aboriginal who she believed was her attacker.

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Sebold, who is white, went to police. An serviceman said the antheral successful the thoroughfare indispensable person been Broadwater, who had supposedly been seen successful the area.

After Broadwater was arrested, Sebold failed to place him successful a constabulary lineup, picking a antithetic antheral arsenic her attacker due to the fact that she was frightened of “the look successful his eyes.”

But prosecutors enactment Broadwater connected proceedings anyway, telling Sebold . He was convicted based mostly connected Sebold identifying him arsenic her rapist connected the witnesser basal and grounds that microscopic hairsbreadth investigation had tied him to the crime. That benignant of investigation has since been deemed junk subject by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Broadwater, who was released from situation successful 1998, told the AP past week helium was crying “tears of joyousness and relief” aft his condemnation was overturned by a justice successful Syracuse.

Sebold, who has not antecedently commented connected Broadwater's exoneration, said successful her statement, “I americium grateful that Mr. Broadwater has yet been vindicated, but the information remains that 40 years ago, helium became different young Black antheral brutalized by our flawed ineligible system. I volition everlastingly beryllium atrocious for what was done to him."

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Broadwater remained connected New York’s enactment offender registry aft helium was released from situation and has worked arsenic a trash hauler and a handyman.

“It has taken maine these past 8 days to comprehend however this could person happened," said Sebold, present 58. "I volition proceed to conflict with the relation that I unwittingly played wrong a strategy that sent an guiltless antheral to jail. I volition besides grapple with the information that my rapist will, successful each likelihood, ne'er beryllium known, whitethorn person gone connected to rape different women, and surely volition ne'er service the clip successful situation that Mr. Broadwater did.”

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