This story is amazing. In my experience of working with victims of abuse - sexual and physical, I have seen cases take on a life of their own, driven by emotion and public outcry, rather than fact and reason. It can be very difficult to get to the truth in these kinds of cases, and sometimes the emotional can overtake the rational. When this happens, often, people are wrongly accused and may be wrongly convicted. Even if not convicted, they will be forever suspect by the community, and their lives will be forever altered.

I hope that whatever Coakley did, and whatever mistakes she made, she did so in the process of trying to protect a child and ensure that justice prevailed - not out of a desire to utilize this tragic situation to further her own political ambition. I don't think the author of this article can know what was in her head and heart. Only Martha can. People make mistakes - even tragic ones. It is their response to their own mistakes that reveals their character. I'm not sure we can rely solely on this one account to know the full story of Martha's handling of this case.