(thunder)
Oh, no. It can't be. It must have been left here by the people that moved out.
Maybe... Then maybe I didn't do such a wonderful thing after all.
Oh, gets me every time.
I'm going to bed, everybody. Good night.
- Night-night, hon. - Night-night.
- Did you say good night? - Night, Mom.
Night, doll.
That's about everybody's bedtime.
- Who wants some ice cream? Sara? - Can I?
- I'm gonna have some. How about you, Dad? - No, thank you.
It was frozen, so I put lots of chocolate...
Here, Dad. I made you one too.
- I told you I didn't want any. - Sure you do. You always do.
Come with me, Sara. You can help me scoop my bowl.
Take this up to my room, lock the door and stay there.
- I need to brush my teeth. - Not tonight. Don't let anybody in.
- Not even Daddy, OK? - OK.
Let's get going.
- What are you doing with her? - Nothing. She's just going to bed.
Wait a minute. Wait a minute. What is this?
What?
Why are you wearing your clothes? You're wearing your clothes under yourjammies?
- What are you up to? - Nothing!
What the hell are you up to? Where do you think you're going?
What did you say to Sara? Tell me!
(radio) 911 for a possible disorderly near the intersection of Lamp and Terminal.
You'll be looking for a woman wearing a nightgown.
(honking)
There she is.
Gotta stay on the line. Gotta stay on the line.
Miss?
- Ma'am? - Stop, ma'am.
Miss, we're gonna have to talk to you. Ma'am?
Gotta stay on the line. Gotta stay on the line.
(phone rings)
Hello?
Just a minute.
It's for you.
Hi. I'm Catherine Black.
I'm a clinical social worker. Are you Connie Bangs?
Yes. This is my brother, Larry, and my sister, Ruth.
- Hi. - Sorry about all this.
- Sorry about what? - The bother that it's causing everybody.
This woman is here to help you.
If there's some way I can help you, Connie, that's what I want to do.
If you want to talk to me now, here, or alone,
it's your choice.
Whatever we talk about is just between us, OK?
Did they tell you anything about my problem?
It isn't your problem. It's your father's.
Oh!
- Nobody's gonna believe that. - Why?
Because of who he is. Joe Bangs - Mr Chamber of Commerce, all that.
What won't they believe?
That it's been so long.
- How long has he been doing it, Connie? - Oh, um...
23 years.
Here I am, I'm 32 and I haven't even told anybody.
People keep secrets for all kinds of reasons, Connie.
Everyone who knows you and loves you understands that.
We want to do what's right here. We want to stand by Connie.
Do you want to talk about it?
- Part of me does. - Which part of you?
The part of me that wants him dead.
Not in a hundred years.
I've seen cases like this. Nobody wants them,
not even the good ones. And this isn't one.
This is a felony crime.
State law has a statutory limitation of three
years after the complainant's 18th birthday.
- Your victim is too late. - Then prosecute it as rape.
They did a rape kit on her. It was negative.
This has been going on since she was eight.
I'm sorry. I really am.
Do you have any idea the secrets that she's been living with for over 20 years?
Do you know what it takes to keep it inside?
Has she opened up to you at all?
It takes time.
Did she tell you any mental health history?
No. Look, my job is to support the victim.
I am doing my job. I just want you to do yours.
Let me give you the most plausible scenario.
We start prosecuting and the defence will relabel it as family dysfunction,
if they don't get a motion to dismiss.
The defendant gets three years' probation.
What does that have to do with the victim?
You want the sad facts? This is a nice middle-class family.
The father's a local businessman.
Who will believe that a 32-year-old woman couldn't have walked out?
- Have you asked yourself that? - No. I know the answer.
It's why you're going to help me prosecute this case,
or I'll go over your head and get a grand jury.
Because if that woman's father isn't put away,
this is gonna go on for the next 20 years,
or somebody's going to die.
I'll schedule a psychiatric evaluation for the victim.
Thank you.
Hi, Bob. Thanks for coming down. I'm sure you're busy.
I'm just kinda worried about you. How you sounded on your message.
Well, it's one of those cases. Just hits a nerve.
Yeah.
The father. Do you know anything about him?
- Joe Bangs? - Yeah.
He's kind of a town booster. Ran for city council a few years back.
- Not an unpopular guy. - What are you saying?
I'm just saying...
I talked to the assistant DA about it.
- She doesn't like this case. - It's a horrible case, Bob.
But Joe Bangs has an eight-year-old daughter living at home,
the age Connie was when he started molesting her.
Why can't Child Protective Services go in?
Until they get a psych evaluation, they don't have enough for probable cause.
What would you like me to do?
(doorbell)
Shh!
(doorbell)
(whispers) We have to make them go away.
- Yes? - Mrs Bangs?
- Yes. - I'm Catherine Black,
from the Seattle Victims' Assistance. This
is Detective Bletcher. Is your husband home?
- No, he's not here. - Are you expecting him back soon?
- I can't say, really. - Do you know why we're here, Mrs Bangs?
- Why you're here? - Is your daughter Sara here?
No.
Get off my property! We've got nothing to say to you!
- Mr Bangs, I need to speak with Sara. - You bring shame to my family.
You've got no right. Now get off my property! Get outta here!
(knocks) Mr Bangs?
Come on, Mr Bangs. Open up.
Open the door, Mr Bangs.
Do you know what they're doing? Do you know what they want?
Your sister is trying to hurt Daddy. Do you want to hurt Daddy?
- No. - (creaking)
I'd like to see the full report as soon as possible. Thanks.
You don't waste any time pissing people off.
I beg your pardon?
I got a call saying you were at the Bangs' house, put a hole in the door.
- You gotta be kidding. - I'm sure there's more.
- Yeah, like some reality. - No charges have been made,
and you're not making my work any easier.
How could your work be any easier?
The psychologist just finished with Connie.
And?
She won't have a full report for a few days, but there was something she found.
- Something you'll want to know about. - What?
The younger daughter, Sara. There was a strong impression she's Connie's.
- Who's the father? - The father.
Joe Bangs.
Oh, God.
- Catherine? - What are you doing?
Frank.
- What time is it? - Morning.
I was just gonna close my eyes. I was working.
I was so worried.
- Where's Jordan? - Next door at the Merediths'. She's fine.
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you.
It's all right. I just woke up and you weren't there.
- It's this case. - I understand.
We're trying to find a legal angle to get the younger daughter out.
It's very hard to get the court to do that.
What about a psychiatric evaluation of the father?
I can't push for that until I get "validation" of the claims
based on the victim's own psychiatric evaluation.
What about the woman, the victim? Will she testify?
She's reluctant, but only because it's so hard.
Oh, dammit! I'm supposed to meet with her at her sister's house in half an hour.
I'm sorry. I just...
I'll call you.
- Hey. - Tell... Oh. Tell Jordan I miss her and...
- I gotta go. - Go.
Hi. I'm sorry I'm late.
- I was wondering if you'd run into Connie. - Run into her?
Yeah. She went for a walk a half-hour ago. She knew you were coming.
Maybe she got caught in the downpour. Waiting for a break.
Yeah. I don't think she had any phone money with her or anything.
- You wanna go out looking for her? - Well, it's...
No. I don't want her to think she's gone from one control freak to another.
- Has she told you much? - Not much she has to tell me.
- How long have you known? - Since I was about eight.
- I'm sorry. - I know the story all right.
How it starts. How he confuses you and makes you think you're the special one
because you're too young to know what he's doing.
Because you think it's just Daddy and he loves you.
- How did you make it stop? - I got sick.
Really sick, and then...
I had to go away to a special hospital.
When I came back... he didn't want me any more.
Can I ask you something? Where was your mother in all this?
God.
Connie. What were you doing?
I was just out for a walk. Mom and Sara picked me up.
- What did she say to you? - Nothing.
Well, you're soaking wet. You're gonna get yourself sick.
- Are you OK, Connie? - Fine.
- I'll get you a change of clothes. - It's OK. I can do it.
Do you wanna talk, Connie?
I'm not really feeling like talking right now.
I'm just gonna go be by myself for a while.
I don't know what to say.
It's OK. I...
just worry about time, about Sara.
- Maybe this isn't the best place... - No. I'll talk to her. I will.
I'll do my best.
This is McCarthyism! You're ruining my good name! You're out to get me.
No one's out to get you. Our job is to prosecute the law.
Persecute is more like it! The persecution of my family.
Calm down. All we'd like is your cooperation.
I'm not giving any evaluation. You're gonna tell me I'm the crazy one.
- Are you saying your daughter's crazy? - It runs in the women.
Ruthie had to be hospitalised. Connie is even worse.
But her mother protects her. She doesn't go out of the house most days.
Did you know Connie's allowed us to give her a psychiatric evaluation?
- What did it say? - We don't know yet.
Either you know or you don't.
- Who are you BSing here? - Where can we get the results?
- We're waiting for the findings. - It's a load of crap!
- All right, Joe. - That's what it is.
- I did hear one thing that came out. - Yeah? What's that?
I can't say yet. I wouldn't want to persecute your good character.
Yeah. Well, you just go right on believing it-whatever it is.
But when lies pass for the truth, the whole world will have gone crazy,
and there won't be a damn thing that matters.
Lady, there are things you just don't know.
- Mommy, Mommy! You're home! - Hey, you!
- Oh, I missed you. - I missed you too.
- Where were you last night? - I was working.
- At what? - Something very hard. Where's Daddy?
He's in the living room talking to Mr Bletcher.
- Hi, honey. - Hi, Catherine.
What's going on?
Bob has something he wants to talk to you about.
It wouldn't have something to do with the Bangs' case?
The DA's office is getting pressure from City Hall.
They called the chief of police about our
visit to the house. They want it cleared up.
- Cleared up or swept under the carpet? - I won't kid you. Your job's in danger.
- For what? - Your obsession with this case.
- My obsession? - You're rattling the wrong cages.
I'm the bad guy because I'm trying to do what's right?
- They think you're driving this forward. - Don't you see what's going on?
Just because it's hard to imagine or hard
to accept, people don't wanna deal with this
because it's easier to believe that it couldn't happen.
I'm just telling you what they're saying. I didn't come here to tell you what to do.
Thank you.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna take a shower.
Tell her I'm still on her side, will ya?
Sara, open the door.
(handle rattling)
Open the door, Sara. It's Daddy.
(woman sobs)
- No! Oh, Sara! - It's OK. What's wrong?
Mom said that Daddy would hurt Sara if I did anything against him.
- No, no. He wouldn't hurt Sara. - He said he would kill himself too!
(Subs)
- Did you put Jordan to bed? - Yeah.
She wanted to know why I didn't protect you.
- Protect me? - From Bob.
What did you tell her?
I told her that you didn't need protecting.
- You knew how to protect yourself. - Thank you.
It's true. Everything you said was true. Bob knew it, too.
He said he's on your side.
Tell me honestly, Frank.
Am I going too far?
We live in a world where too many people won't go far enough,
won't do what they know is right.
I don't know how it got this way, but the world has become so complicated
that to involve yourself in someone else's problems is to invite them on yourself.
(phone rings)
Hello.
- Oh, my God. - What?
- I'll be right there. - What is it?
Joe Bangs has disappeared with his daughter Sara.
(police radio) Three-Union-Five, ETA two minutes.
Dispatch, you can release Trial Six.
Incident 936. Two males, one armed. Citizen reporting.
Three-Point-Four. Domestic violence, 354 Northeast 55th Street.
Thanks a lot.
- Hey. - What have you found out?
The father said he was taking the little girl shopping at about 7pm.
The mother waited dinner on them till 9pm, then waited another two hours to call 911.
- She have any idea where he's taken her? - No.
But for a woman whose daughter is missing, she sure doesn't seem that upset.
- How quickly things change. - Yeah.
- You mind if I look around? - By all means.
- I'm sorry this is happening. - Could have been avoided.
- How do you mean? - I think you know.
Are you at all aware how your daughters feel about their father, Mrs Bangs?
Everything seemed quite all right for the past 35 years. Now you're an expert?
Did you ever have a secret? Something you didn't wanna tell
because you were afraid someone might use it against you?
No.
We all have secrets, Mrs Bangs.
Maybe that's what they're best kept as.
Wait! No! God!
The family had a cabin that they rented every winter during Christmas break.
What makes you think he'd take her there?
His need for control would dictate that he'd
choose a place he knew, a place he felt safe.
Somewhere secluded enough.
Mrs Bangs said he threatened to hurt Sara or himself.
He's got a gun, but it wasn't in the usual hiding place.
- Oh, God! - I don't think he'll hurt her,
or he would have done it at home.
You can't put this on yourself, Catherine. You didn't cause this.
- You just flushed him out. - I know.
You guys take the rear.
He was here.
Hey! Hey!
Cover the road!
- Stop the car! Hold it! - (gunshot)
Hold your fire! Hold your fire!
Get him! Get the driver! Get the driver!
- Catherine? - Out of the car! Get out of the car!
- Come on! - I'm OK. Where's the girl? Where's Sara?
It's all right.
It's all right. It's all right.
Read him his rights and get him outta here.
We are outside chambers where a special grand jury has been convened
here in Seattle, awaiting word on the indictment of local businessman Joe Bangs
on a charge the district attorney's office will not reveal,
but is almost certainly related to Bangs' arrest for reckless child endangerment...
Here we go.
(reporter) What's your reaction to the indictment?
- Connie. How you doing? - Fine.
You're gonna be OK. You're gonna be just fine.
An inch at a time. An inch at a time.
- What about Sara? - She's gonna be fine too.
- One comment, Miss Bangs. - Just one comment, please.
You're gonna fall asleep in court and miss everything.
I'm just nervous.
- About what? - The DA's office.
They're back-pedalling. They've offered a plea to Joe Bangs' attorney.
- Why? - They think he's presented a strong case.
They think because Connie's early psychiatric
records show no evidence of sexual abuse,
it's eroded the jury's certainty.
What you're really worried about is Connie.
They don't have confidence in her ability to give a convincing testimony.
She's done it before.
Five months ago, without her father there.
A plea would reduce the maximum prison term to eight years.
He'd be eligible for parole in three.
- Sarah would be 11 or 12. - It's a huge gamble.
After how far we've come, after everything we've put Connie through.
As much as I believe in her...
sometimes I think there's no light that can
penetrate the darkness of where she's been.
You're doing the right thing. I have a strong feeling about it.
- Hi. - You look great. We're all here for you.
- How's she doing? - She's OK.
All rise. The Honourable Judge Ruby presiding.
Be seated.
May I have counsel up here'?
Before we go forward, have you exhausted your avenues of compromise?
(Joe's attorney) No bargains. No pleas. We want an acquittal, nothing less.
Then let's finish and get this to the jury.
Is prosecution ready with its final witness?
- I want to recall my client first. - For what?
Your Honour, this man is a pillar of the community.
His name is being smeared with no foundation.
All right. OK, a slight change here. The defence would like to recall Joe Bangs.
What are they doing?
Mr Bangs, you learned something last night.
Something you've suspected for a long time.
- Is that right? - For over 30 years.
Something that your wife wouldn't admit to you about your daughter, Connie.
Yes.
That Connie was the product...
of her union with another man.
- (murmuring) - Objection!
- Be strong, Connie.
- Objection. - Let's have some order, please!
- (bangs gavel) - Let's have order.
- Objection, Your Honour. - Objection sustained.
The jury will disregard those statements
and I will admonish counsel for making any further prejudicial statements.
Nothing further, Your Honour.
- Witness for the prosecution. - Connie, I'm sorry. Are you ready?
We'd like to call Connie Bangs.
Raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Yes.
You told me this morning, Connie, that your life has been two lives:
the first 32 years and the last six months.
But that you've hated both lives because they were so painful.
I know that it's painful here today
to tell the terrible truth about the man who's caused you all that pain.
- Isn't it, Connie? - Yes.
Part of the pain is knowing that it's hard to
believe you couldn't stop it, couldn't leave.
Isn't that what you told me?
- Yes. - Then I need you to tell me.
To tell those people here who might not want to believe...
how your father made it impossible for you to take control of your life.
Connie.
Do we have someone from Victim Services in the courtroom?
- Yes, Your Honour. - Could you come up here, please?
I need you to talk to the witness. Do
whatever you need to do to get her testimony.
- Objection. - Overruled.
We don't have her testimony, we don't have a trial.
Connie.
You're not a victim. You're a survivor.
Connie. Tell me how your father kept you his prisoner.
He... told me that I was...
his special one, that he loved me more.
And that he had...
this special way of showing it.
And he said that if I told...
he would kill himself, and he had a gun. He would take it out with us every time.
I'll do it. I'll do it!
He told me to steer and stay on the middle line or else we would crash and both die.
But when you got home, you told me it was worse than death,
what he did for 23 years.
He... he put a lock on my door.
He said it was to keep me safe.
No! Don't!
But it was to keep his secret safe, wasn't it?
He was supposed to be my protector.
He was supposed to love me with his heart.
Why couldn't you just love me for me, Daddy?
What kind of man does this?
Shut up! Shut your mouth!
- Shut up! - Let's have some order, please.
Shut up!
I brought something for you.
Thank you.
Visiontext Subtitles: Sue Whitfield
(child) I made this!
ENGLISH SDH