NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday April 14, 2008

Bennett minimizes broomstick assault as 'more like goosing'

As National Crime Victims’ Rights Week began, former Senate President Ken Bennett kicked off the week by minimizing his son’s broomstick assault of his middle school campers.

According to PolitickerAZ.com, Bennett described the way Clifton Bennett committed aggravated assault on the children as “more like goosing.” (link)

Press accounts of Clifton Bennett’s court proceedings describe the assault. (http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/123050.php)

The son of state Senate President Ken Bennett admitted in court Monday to assaulting middle school boys with a broomstick in their rectal areas, but a judge allowed charges against him to be reduced from 18 to one, and he may avoid jail.

Police reports say the assaults took place at Chapel Rock Camp in Prescott during a weeklong camp for school leaders in June. Witnesses told police that the junior counselors lined up the youngsters, told them to bend over and “broomsticked” them. The boys told police “broomsticking” was done alternately with a broom, a cane, a mop handle and a heavy-duty flashlight while they were clothed.

According to Dictionary.com, a “goosing” means: “to poke (a person) between the buttocks to startle.” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/goose)

“To call those assaults a ‘goosing’ is an insult to anyone who’s been a victim of sexual assault,” said Emily Bittner, spokeswoman for the Arizona Democratic Party. “It’s unbelievable that Bennett is still defending his son’s assault as child’s play. That’s like saying that knocking off a bank at gunpoint is like playing cops and robbers.”

Andrew Vachss, a lawyer specializing in child cases and a best-selling author who uses profits from his books to fund legal work for abused kids, told The Arizona Republic that the punishment for the assault was a “sweetheart deal.” (link)

“The bottom line is you don’t have to prove sexual intent when you have such gross assault,” he said. “It looks like one of the most sweetheart deals of all time.”

In fact, Bennett has criticized the media’s coverage of the assaults.

“Bennett’s acting as though his son is the victim here,” Bittner said. The fact of the matter is there were real children who were harmed – by his son. For him to minimize what happened is disgraceful and wrong.”