All the news lately about sexual assault brings to mind the story of the Rideouts, On October 10, 1978, Greta Rideout called the police in Salem, Oregon to report that she had been beaten by her husband John, who then raped her in front of their two-year-old daughter. The subsequent trial made national headlines and even resulted in a TV movie featuring Mickey Rourke and Linda Hamilton.
At issue was if there could be such a thing as spousal rape. The court ruled that Greta’s past sexual history was admissible, and so she was questioned about extramarital relations, an abortion, having a child out of wedlock, and lesbian fantasies. John testified, “She hit me first,” and saying that after he apologized they had “voluntary” sexual intercourse.
Spectators in the courtroom applauded when the jury delivered its unanimous “not guilty” verdict. Two weeks later, the Rideouts announced their reconciliation.
Greta had been fired from her job – John was a student. She was evicted from her apartment after John’s brother kicked in the door. The reconciliation lasted two months amid more accusations of abuse. After their divorce, John himself kicked in Greta’s front door. He pleaded guilty to trespassing. Since that time, John has been arrested on various firearms, DUI driving and theft charges. Last July, he was arrested and charged with two counts of rape.
