Montel’s Rapist Show

In “Wanna Confess? Call Montel” (March 25), Howard Rosenberg charges that Montel Williams’ producers were somehow irresponsible because they believed the criminal confessions of a man who claimed to have committed 90 rapes.

Rosenberg fails to mention that the doctor who treated this self-professed rapist also believed Jerome Stanfield was guilty and told producers that he had reported Stanfield’s confession to the Baltimore Police Department because of his concerns for public safety when Stanfield left therapy prematurely. The candid conversations producers had with Stanfield’s therapist were pivotal in their decision to move forward with this show.

How can we presume, in retrospect, that Stanfield was lying when he spoke to Williams and is telling the truth to everyone else? According to reports from private investigators hired by the show, Stanfield told the truth about every detail of his personal life, including the names of therapists and periods of treatment. He even gave his doctors permission to reveal confidential medical information to producers.

Since the program aired, several women who say they were raped by Stanfield have come forward. If even one case can be brought against Stanfield and he is convicted, the public good will have been served by this controversial program. HERMAN RUSH

Executive Producer

“The Montel Williams Show”

Viacom Enterprises

New York