Woman Who Survived Unfathomable Torture Helps Convict The Man Who Almost Killed Her
Wednesday June 25, 2008
CityNews.ca Staff
Warning: the following story contains extremely graphic and disturbing testimony about a terrible crime. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.
A woman who was tortured so badly she begged her assailant to end her life, has finally received justice in a New York City courtroom. The man who brutally raped, assaulted and tormented her for 19 straight hours has been found guilty of the terrible crimes he inflicted on her.
What Robert Williams did to his victim is almost beyond description. After forcing his way into the university student's apartment, he proceeded to rape her repeatedly, scald her over and over again with boiling water, make her take an overdose of painkillers, attempted to seal her lips shut with super glue, threw bleach in her eyes to try and blind her and when that didn't work, tried to force her to gouge out her eyes with a pair of scissors.
Things got so bad for the victim she begged the 31-year-old to take her life and put an end to her suffering during the nearly day long ordeal. But Williams refused to stop the torture and it went on and on until he finally left.
But even that wasn't without a terrible price. As a chilling finale, he duct taped the unconscious woman to her bed, before setting the place on fire. She woke up and managed to use the fire to burn off her bindings. And despite her agonizing injuries, she was able to flee to a neighbour as flames consumed the apartment.
The 24-year-old was badly injured, suffered major traumas and has needed both mental and physical therapy since that terrible day in April 2007. But she survived and found the incredible courage to testify against her assailant during a three week trial that ended on Tuesday.
A jury listened to the horrifying litany of woe and the evidence - which included finding her DNA on the shirt he was wearing the day of the attack. But it was her identification of him on the stand and her powerful unwavering words that eventually led to his conviction.
The woman's family and friends were in the courtroom when the guilty verdicts were announced. Williams was convicted of all but two of the 46 counts against him, including attempted murder, rape, kidnapping, and arson.
But the prisoner wasn't there to see it. The rapist has repeatedly refused to attend the proceedings and was forced to show up in court only once - when his victim confronted him and identified him in a dramatic moment during the trial.
His reaction when he learned of the verdict is telling. He apparently was informed of the decision and simply turned over in his cell and went back to sleep.
Williams had previously spent eight years in jail for another attempted murder and could get a life sentence when his punishment is pronounced on July 24th.