Editorial: Strengthen protections for victims of violent sexual crimes
The release from prison of a man involved in the horrific rape and murder of Lorraine Ann “Lorry” Borowski scratched open a 36-year-old wound for her family and gave rise to new concerns.
Soon after Thomas Kokoraleis was declared a free man after serving half of a 70-year sentence, Borowski's family worried they will spend the rest of their lives looking over their shoulders. Would he show up at their house? Would he call?
In response, the family's attorney, Gloria Allred, called on Illinois lawmakers to create “Lorry Ann's Law” to strengthen provisions to keep offenders from having contact with victims of violent sexual crimes and their families.
While we wait for lawmakers to act on Allred's request and hammer out the critical details, we support the spirit of the proposal that would provide more protection to victims.
At least one legal expert said such a law would be a benefit if it makes such restrictions automatic and give victims some peace of mind. That's a good place for lawmakers to start.
The proposed law, Allred said, would be an amended version of the Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act with a new provision ordering offenders not to have contact with their victims. It would also allow victims' families to request no contact.
“Now her murderer is set free and the law does not even require that her murderer be required to stay away from her family,” Allred said. Kokoraleis, his brother, Andrew, and two other men, were the so-called the Ripper Crew accused of committing violent, sexually motivated murders of women in Chicago and the suburbs in the 1980s. Lorry Borowski, of Elmhurst, was 21 when she was killed in 1982.
Kokoraleis, now 58, admitted to participating in Borowski's abduction but denied involvement in her rape and murder. He was convicted based on the accountability theory, meaning he was held responsible for the acts committed by others that resulted in her death.
After leaving prison, he registered as a sex offender in Aurora and has said he wants no contact with any families.
Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim said the law now provides protection but puts the onus on victims to request an order of protection. Such a request allows for a court hearing, where victims have to face offenders.
Instead, making such protection automatic would lift that burden from victims, he said.
Nerheim said it's not common for offenders to contact victims, but it has happened. That fear of contact, however, is always on their minds, he added.
After all the pain these victims and their families have been through, they shouldn't have to also live with the fear of contact from their tormentors.