LEYKIS? YOU'RE GONNA DETEST US

Radio Talk-Show Host Names Kobe Bryant's Accuser (Dan Whitcomb, July 22, 2003, Reuters)

The 19-year-old woman who accused Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant of rape was named on Tuesday by a nationally syndicated talk-show host and on the Internet, pushing her into the spotlight despite pleas for privacy from her family.

Rape counselors and mental health experts were outraged by the exposure of the young Colorado woman, saying that a victim of sexual assault would be further traumatized by public scrutiny.

"That's like being raped again," if her accusations against Bryant are true, said Dr. Patricia Saunders, director of Graham Windham Manhattan Medical Center in New York City. "It's an intrusion. It's an utter violation of her right to privacy. It's a sadistic thing to do."

News organizations, which typically have policies against naming sexual assault victims, have not identified the woman. But her name, address, telephone number and possibly her picture have surfaced on the Internet.

Meanwhile Tom Leykis, host of a radio talk-show based in Los Angeles and aimed mostly at young men, began using her name on the air and told Reuters that he has no plans to stop.

"We're told that rape is violence, not sex, and if that's true there's no reason she should feel shame or embarrassment," Leykis said, adding that he felt it unfair to name Bryant but not his accuser.

This poor woman's father should find Mr. Leykis and horse-whip him. Posted by Orrin Judd at July 22, 2003 10:55 PM