THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 28, 1994 TAG: 9410280580
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARC TIBBS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Long : 104 lines
A feeble Pinrecko L. Artise Jr. stood shakily before a judge Thursday and burst into tears after he was found guilty of four counts of rape, two of which involve women who claim he is their father. One charge dates back almost 40 years.
The victims, unmoved by his tears, were relieved that their long-running ordeal had finally come to a close.
Artise, 70, offered no statement to Circuit Judge Norman L. Olitsky, who accepted the defendant's plea of no contest and sentenced him to seven years in prison on each of the four counts, to be served concurrently. Six years were suspended. The Portsmouth landlord will begin serving his 12-month sentence Dec. 1 at the Portsmouth City Jail. He also faces five years of supervised probation after his release.
He could have faced up to four life sentences.
Artise was indicted April 1, 1993, on nine counts of rape and three counts of incest. He was charged after the four women broke years of silence and came forward with a tale of repeated physical, sexual and mental abuse that began when they were toddlers and continued beyond their teenage years.
The victims, Eunice Brown and her sisters Rose Marie Arrington, 43; Carolyn Brown, 35, and Teena Martin-Smith, 32, held a press conference after the court hearing to explain why they had come forward.
``This is a healing process for us,'' said Eunice Brown, 42. ``My sisters and I have come together over this, and we're able to talk about the past, whereas we couldn't do that before.''
Earlier in the day, Arrington had made a statement in open court, directly addressing Artise.
``P.L., I trusted you like a child is supposed to trust their parents, but you failed,'' she said. ``You brought me so much grief, hurt and pain. Bringing you before this court, I hope, will let you understand what you did was very wrong, and this will end the cycle of your abuse.''
Carolyn Brown and Martin-Smith claim Artise is their father, a charge Artise denies.
Artise is the patriarch of three families. With his first wife, the late Dorothy Artise, he had six children. Later, according to victims' statements, he fathered three more children with Ghoniteen DeBerry Brown, mother of the four victims, whom he never married. His current wife, Linda, also Ghoniteen's daughter, is the mother of six more of Artise's children.
Artise appeared in court Thursday with his mother-in-law on his arm and his wife by his side. At one point during the hearing, he appeared so shaken that the judge ordered a brief recess until he could regain his composure.
In summing up the evidence against Artise, Commonwealth's Attorney Martin Bullock said the state was prepared to prove that Artise - using threats, intimidation and force - had intercourse with each of the defendants when they were under the age of consent.
Teena Martin-Smith explained the pattern of the abuse.
``At very early ages,'' she said, ``my sisters and I became victims of systematic sexual abuse, with our mother acting as a willing accomplice.
``She gave us over to him. Told us it was our religious duty to have sex with him. If one of us ever refused him, he would subject us to mental torture, take out his anger on the entire family until we began to blame each other. Eventually, the one who refused him had to go to him, ask for forgiveness and offer herself to him sexually.''
Defense attorney James A. Winstead refuted those claims, but said his client would not contest the allegations in accordance with the terms of the plea agreement.
``It was the best deal we could get, considering his age,'' Winstead said of the plea agreement. ``It was really his decision.''
Bullock praised the four women and admitted that when they first came to him nearly two years ago, he doubted that the case could be successfully prosecuted.
``I had been hesitant in thinking that we could get a conviction, but as I began to talk with them in detail, and as more of them came forward, it was clear to me then that we had a very good shot.''
``I never met ladies as strong and with as much courage and integrity as these four women,'' he said. ``If you've ever been abused, you now how difficult it is to come forward after such a long time.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photos]
Four women - from left, Carolyn Brown, Rose Marie Arrington, Teena
Martin-Smith and Eunice Brown - broke years of silence when they
came forward. Carolyn Brown and Martin-Smith claim Artise is their
father.
MARK MITCHELL/Staff
Pinrecko L. Artise Jr., center, will begin serving his 12-month
sentence on Dec. 1.
ALBA BRAGOLI
Illustration
P.L. Artise - with his wife, Linda, center, and daughter Thelma
Crocker, standing at right - burst into tears in court on Thursday
as the verdict is announced. Artise pleaded no contest to the
charges against him, one of which dates back almost 40 years.
P.L. ARTISE JR.
Staff Graphic
[Chart of Artise' wives, mistress and children. For a copy of the
chart, see microfilm on page B2 for this date.]
KEYWORDS: SEXUAL ABUSE CHILD ABUSE GUILTY VERDICT RAPE SENTENCING
INCEST by CNB