OXNARD : Court Told Threats Forced Recanting

A day after an alleged rape victim testified that she fabricated her complaint to get the defendant in trouble, the victim’s mother took the witness stand to say her daughter had recanted because of threats from a member of the defendant’s family.

Outside the courtroom, Deputy Dist. Atty. Lela Henke-Dobroth said there is no doubt in her mind that Dale Chester, 22, of Oxnard, raped the victim. The prosecutor said she intends to prove her case “by whatever other form of corroboration we might have.” Chester is charged with two counts of rape and one count each of oral copulation and sodomy. The case also is unusual because two of the defendant’s brothers--Samuel C. Chester, 28, and Leonard Chester, 32--are serving lengthy prison sentences on unrelated rape convictions.

The victim’s mother and one of the victim’s close friends testified Thursday that the woman told them that Chester had raped her at gunpoint July 3 in a Camarillo park.

Henke-Dobroth said it is not unusual for rape victims to decide against following through on a rape complaint. She said it is especially common in cases of spousal rape, but that if evidence indicates a rape occurred the prosecutor’s office will still charge a suspect.

She said the evidence against Chester is strong. In addition to the victim’s original statement that Chester raped her at gunpoint, police found Chester’s underwear and a .357 magnum near the site where the victim said the incident occurred, Henke-Dobroth said.

“We’re not going to let some guy run around with a .357 and do whatever he chooses to do,” she said.