DRUG ARREST SENDS A CHILLING MESSAGE

I WAS heartbroken when I read the story of the woman who was sexually
assaulted, and then arrested for drug possession by the officers who
responded to her 911 call ("In Virginia," Sept. 2).

What possible good can come from imprisoning this poor woman after she was
assaulted? She should be receiving post-trauma counseling, not legal counsel.

I am also concerned about the message this sends to women everywhere. Does
this mean that those women who occasionally smoke marijuana can no longer
enjoy police protection from assaults, unless they too wish to go to jail?

Paul Lewin
Arlington