Alleged Victim’s Father, Sister Died Tragically

On her third day of testimony, a USC graduate student momentarily broke down in Los Angeles Municipal Court Thursday when talking about the deaths of her father and sister in 1988.

The woman told Municipal Court Judge Edward A. Ferns that her father died in January, 1988, in an auto accident and her sister 11 months later on an airliner that was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland, by a terrorist bomb.

She testified outside the presence of the 12-person jury in the trial of three USC football players who she alleges dragged her into a dormitory room and sexually assaulted her.

The judge allowed only limited testimony from the woman’s statements because, he ruled, the circumstances surrounding the deaths were too prejudicial and irrelevant to the case.

The woman, who is studying for a degree in child counseling and family planning, knew that she would be subjected to difficult questioning by defense attorneys, said George Lomeli, a city prosecutor.

But when answering a question in cross-examination about her father’s death--an auto accident in Saudi Arabia according to court records--tears welled up in her eyes.

“I knew my father could help with this and he’s not here,” she said of the alleged July 20 incident that led to misdemeanor charges against Trojan football players Michael Jones, Willie McGinest and Jason Oliver.

“I knew this (testifying) was going to be hard. I didn’t know how strong a person I was.”

The defense asked her why she waited about 17 hours after the alleged on-campus incident to file a report to USC security. She testified that she was flustered and in shock. She said she needed time to decide what to do.

“It’s been real tough on my mom,” she testified. “We’ve been through a lot the last couple of years.”