South Carolina rape case underscores high incidence of sexual violence in the State

One of many roadside churches just south of Allendale, SC

Roadside churches are about as common as legal loan sharking businesses in South Carolina. Combine that with America's highest violent crime rate, the 15th highest number of forcible rapes among all 50 states, the fact that 50.2% of all South Carolina rape victims are acquaintances of the offender and you can easily understand the story that hit today's national headlines. (Sources of sexual assault Data: US Census, State of South Carolina).

It seems like the conservative culture of family values doesn't work in Jim Demint's South Carolina.

South Carolina pastor Dale Richardson accused of raping women behind church

LADSON, S.C. - South Carolina pastor Dale Richardson has been charged with kidnapping and raping several women at gunpoint, including two of them in a trailer behind his church. He is also accused of kidnapping a fourth who was not sexually assaulted.

According to an incident report, on a Saturday afternoon in July, the preacher picked up a woman and gave her a ride. When the 20-year-old tried to exit out of the car, Richardson allegedly pulled a gun, bound her hands, covered her head and took her to the gray-blue trailer home behind the Free Will Baptist Church in Ladson.

The report also said he later dropped the woman in a wooded area and threatened to shoot her if she turned around. The woman was able to identify Richardson from his picture on the church website, which also displays a short biography detailing how he became a Christian and then a pastor.

Read the full CBS-AP report

South Carolina Sexual Assault Statistics 
The newest statistics from SLED’s website states that in 2009, South Carolina had a total of
1,649 rape offenses reported:

• The rape rate in South Carolina has been higher than the national rape rate since1982.
• In South Carolina, the rape rate has increased 37.6 percent from 1975 to 2009
• A decline of 2.9 percent of rapes took place from 2008 to 2009.
• 50.2 percent of offender relationships to victims of rapes were acquaintances.
• 22.6 percent of rape victims fell into the age range of 18-24.
• Saluda County, SC ranks number one in the state for number of rapes per 10,000 people residing in the county (15 offenses = 7.9 rapes per 10,000 people).

http://www.sled.sc.gov/documents/CrimeReporting/SCCrimeBooks/2008/2008%20Crime%20in%20South%20Carolina.pdf as of March 2011

Take a tour of Allendale, South Carolina where half of all residents live below the US poverty line

With little industry other than the US nuclear facility on the Savannah River, run down infrastructure, dilapidated rail lines, some marginal cotton and timber farming and no Interstate highway to bring in traffic, Allendale County, South Carolina is the poorest and most neglected county in South Carolina and the 10th poorest county in the United States. 

The rapidly diminishing population is overwhelmingly African-American and majority female. When I visited the City of Allendale in January 2011, I saw no operating businesses on either of the two main drags. Likewise the streets were striking in their absence of both cars and people. The single operating restaurant was a warm and friendly place that was not prepared to serve more than coffee and iced tea.

Here are some pictures and links that illustrate the long term effects of conservative politics on a community.

---J.A.M.

This boarded up filling station on the virtually abandoned main road into Allendale, SC is typical of the state of businesses in Allendale, SC.


Half of all Allendale, SC residents live below the US poverty line and a quarter exist on incomes half that amount.

Cotton, the mainstay of the Allendale, SC economy since slavery, continues to be the basis of a local economy where industry and business are almost completely absent. This photo was taken just south of the Allendale city limits.


Allendale County, South Carolina: America's 10th poorest county

Palmetto and cedar swamps like this one found within the city limits, restrain agricultural and other economic development in the Allendale, South Carolina region.


Allendale, SC residents more than half as poor as other South Carolinians

Rusted railroad track and businesses like this dilapidated grain operation in neighboring Hampton County, SC explain much about why the economy has been sidelined and unemployment continues to soar not just in south west South Carolina but throughout the State.

With a population with little to pawn and no money to "rent to own" even businesses like this Spartanburg, SC pawnshop that dot the landscape in the rest of the State are virtually invisible in Allendale County.

Where there's poverty there's crime; where there's crime there's fear and unfortunately, rural Allendale, South Carolina has more violent crime than the average American city and as we've documented, the State of South Carolina boasts the most violent crime in the U.S.

So in somewhat more prosperous neighboring Hampton, County, concealed weapons training is available under the water tower.


Learn more about Allendale, South Carolina from the town itself.