Professor Shestowsky Comments on Garrido ‘Apology' for KCRA-3, CNN
Professor Donna Shestowsky commented for a news report broadcast on Sacramento television station KCRA-3 and on the CNN network regarding a letter of apology sent to the station by Philip Garrido, the convicted rapist accused of kidnapping Jaycee Lee Dugard and holding her prisoner for nearly two decades. He is believed to have fathered two children with her. In what is his third letter sent to KCRA, Garrido wrote that he "would like to apologize to every human being for what has taken place" and referenced "a sexual problem thought to be impossible."
"To me, this almost rises to the level of what psychologists would call a partial apology," Professor Shestowsky told KCRA in an interview that was later rebroadcast by CNN. "It's almost like he's saying, 'I have a problem, and what I did was a problem.' But he's certainly not taking full responsibility for his actions."
Donna Shestowsky, who has both a law degree and a PhD in Psychology, is a Professor at UC Davis School of Law, where she teaches Criminal Law, Negotiation Strategy, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and a seminar in Legal Psychology. She was the 2007 recipient of the Law School's Distinguished Teaching Award.