Alleged victim in HSU football player's preliminary hearing for charge of forcible rape takes back power by revealing her name today

The preliminary hearing for Raul Sierra started this morning in Courtroom 4. Before the first witness took the stand, Deputy District Attorney Brie Bennett informed Judge Timothy Cissna, "The complaining witness no longer wants to go by Jane Doe, so I will be using her name."

Sierra, who is now clean shaven and was dressed in a blue striped shirt and brown khakis sat with his two attorneys, Mr. Beorn Zepp and Mr. Manny Daskal. He was accompanied by five people, two seem to be his parents, and one possibly, his girlfriend, she has attended court with him before.

Advocates from the DA's Victim Witness and NorthCoast Rape Crisis Center were there to support the alleged victim as well as a friend.

The alleged victim in this case is Rigmor Angel Soerensen, a HSU student, who moved here from from Norway. Ms. Soerensen, is an articulate, attractive young woman who calmly answered most questions and very credibly. She did break down crying at several points in her testimony and asked for a brief break before cross examination started.

She did not look directly at Sierra except to identify him. Sierra, for the most part, looked down and scribbled on a paper and at other times whispered to Mr. Zepp.

The preliminary hearing was interrupted a few times by notes from a jury that is deliberating a case since yesterday and Judge Cissna apologized to all present. Sierra and his attorneys gave their consent, if the preliminary proceeded into the afternoon.

Direct examination is over, cross examination is still going on and will continue after lunch.

Ms. Bennett asked Ms. Soerensen how she felt about testifying and she said she was nervous.

When asked why she chose not to remain confidential, Ms. Soerenesen replied, "Because usually when I read about similar cases, they are anonymous. It's a cultutal thing. In America, they put the accused picture and photo. In Norway, they do not. It's not fair. I want my own name against the name."

One of the most poignant moments of Ms. Soerensen's testimony this morning was her talking about the only two still images she could recall of the night she was allegedly raped by Sierra.

One was her seeing the ceiling, desk and her bed from the front door of her room. She started crying when she mentioned the second still memory. "I am laying on my bed and he is on top of me. I cannot see his face but can see his beard and hairy chest. I am also holding both of my hands over my vagina."

I will have the complete testimony of Ms. Soerensen and the second witness, HSU Sgt. Janelle Jackson in a post later.