For 4 years 33-year-old William McCaffrey sat rotting in jail, accused and convicted of raping 22-year-old (now 27) mother of 2, Biurny Peguero Gonzalez. He probably would have remained there for the remainder of his jail term had it not been for new DNA evidence, introduced last year, that proved he was not guilty of the rape, and that Gonzalez obviously had lied. Thanks to new DNA and the priest who convinced Gonzalez to come clean, McCaffrey is a free man, though nothing can replace those lost 4 years of his life.
The reason she lied is what people find most shocking. Back in 2005
she’d been hanging out with a group of girlfriends when she accepted an invitation to get into his car.
After she returned, her pals were furious that she’d ditched them — so she made up the rape story to gain their sympathy.
As simple as that, a stupid 22-year-old cried rape and lied from beginning to end because her girlfriends were pissed off that she had abandoned them for a while. The lie to her gal pals escalated out of control as she told the same fabricated story to policemen, doctors, and then throughout the whole court proceedings. Then she lived with that lie for 4 years. Now, for that crime of perjury she herself will serve jail time- from 1 to 3 years behind bars, although the prosecutor asked for 2 to 6.
Although McCaffrey has some sympathy for her and wishes her “the best of luck”, he does not yet forgive her.
McCaffrey said he has some sympathy for Gonzalez and hopes she “doesn’t go through what I went though.
“I was an accused rapist in prison,” he said, adding that in prison, “rape is the worst crime possible.”
All is clearly not forgiven.
A person who would “lie and paint somebody as a rapist is worse than a real rapist or a real murderer,” McCaffrey said
He also blamed “the arresting officers, the prosecution.” Everyone, he said, “wanted to believe the lie, the ADA [assistant district attorney] first and foremost.”
She begged for mercy, since she has 2 children, and could get parole after serving a year in jail. But she showed no mercy when she claimed repeatedly to prosecutors and others that she was “110 percent” certain that she was raped by McCaffrey, knowing full well he hadn’t touched her. Perhaps this will be a good lesson for women who lie about being raped. There should be major consequences. Women who lie do a major disservice to those who actually have been raped.
They say the truth will set you free, in this case it set an innocent man free, but the one who uttered it will deservedly get her just rewards for lying and ruining a man’s life.
