Alabama man convicted of raping woman with intellectual disabilities
Published 4:48 pm Wednesday, September 21, 2022
An Alabama man was found guilty of raping a woman with intellectual disabilities Wednesday.
Ronald W. Kaefer of Jemison was found guilty of first-degree rape in criminal court on Wednesday.
“This was a very important case to us, and we were glad that the jury arrived at the truth,” 19th Judicial Circuit District Attorney C. J. Robinson said.
The initial charges in the case stem from a Feb. 18, 2021, incident. Kaefer had been arrested on March 5, 2021.
Robinson said the victim was a 36-year-old with Down’s Syndrome, and “she did not have the mental capacity to consent to an act like that.”
The victim later told a family friend what had happened to her.
During the trial, the defendant moved for judgment of acquittal at the end of the state’s evidence and at the close of all evidence, according to court documents.
The motion was denied both times.
Sentencing in the trial has been set for Nov. 3. Kaefer’s conviction carries a possible sentence of 10-99 years.
Robinson said “we are clearly going to be asking for a long prison sentence” to get justice for the victim and to deter anyone who would sexually assault someone who is intellectually disabled.