Accuser tells of ’92 rape by 4 in Lowell By Zachary R. Dowdy The woman, a former prostitute, ments to police, before a grand jury

Accuser tells of ’92 rape by 4 in Lowell
By Zachary R. Dowdy
The woman, a former prostitute, ments to police, before a grand jury
GLOBE STAFF
appeared poised and confident when and to the court, about certain de-
questioned by Middlesex County As- tails.
LOWELL – Before she was al-
sistant District Attorney David
He noted that she had told police
legedly forced to perform sexual acts Meier.
and a grand jury last year that
with four Burlington men one July
She said her attackers took turns Troisi had first forced her to per-
morning last year, a former Lowell forcing her to perform oral sex in- form coitus, but that yesterday she
woman said, the men, burly young side a station wagon near a deserted told the court that Troisi made her
athletes, argued and joked over who football field. As each man had his perform oral sex first.
was to rape her first.
way, the others watched from out-
McBride asked why the woman
In her second day of testimony
side the car, she testified.
had used different names when she
yesterday in Essex Superior Court,
She said Troisi had picked her up had been arrested for "nightwalk-
the 31-year-old woman outlined a on Appleton Street in Lowell a few ing" in the past. The woman ad-
harrowing tale of abduction and as- minutes before the other men mitted on the stand that she had
sault that allegedly unfolded early climbed into the car. One of the men, been a prostitute.
on July 13, 1992.
she said yesterday, said to her flatly,
He also challenged her statement
Charged with aggravated rape
"You’re going to get raped." The al- that she removed her shirt after his
and kidnapping are Sean Herbert, leged rape occurred near Cawley client had begun to tear it. When dis-
24, Derek Larson, 23, Gregory J.
Memorial Stadium on Dead Horse played, the pink garment showed no
Pineo, 24, and Albert C. Troisi, 22.
Lane shortly after 1 a.m. that day.
rips or tears.
Larson, who allegedly kicked and
On cross-examination, Troisi’s at-
Larson, she said, threatened to
punched the woman in the mouth torney, John McBride, tried to un-
punch her if she didn’t stimulate
three times – so hard that the teeth dermine the woman’s testimony by
him.
on her dental plate were knocked drawing attention to her admission
"He said ‘I’m going to count
loose – is also charged with assault
that she had injected herself with backwards from 5 and if you don’t
and battery and assault and battery
heroin about 13 hours before she start performing oral sex, I’m going
with a dangerous weapon.
was picked up.
to punch you,’ " she said, adding that
McBride also said there were in- she was crying and sobbing during
HARD TO FIND SIZES
consistencies in the woman’s state- the encounter. This week, I tell you that a rape victim’s sexual history is generally inadmissible at trial. As you can read above, the jury heard that the victim had been arrested for prostitution. Why do you think the trial judge allowed her sexual history to be discussed at trial?