Victim 'Lied' About Child Rape Accusations, Defense Attorney Says

WOBURN, MA -- Accusing the alleged victim of being "angry and hurt" after learning a family secret, the attorney representing Donald Gladu told a Middlesex Superior Court jury on Wednesday that the alleged victim lashed out with false accusations that the now 61-year-old Framingham man raped and molested her as a child.

"She lies,'' defense attorney John Swomley told the jury his closing argument. "She lies a lie she can't take back,'' he said of the sexual assault allegations.

But prosecutor Rachel Perlman asked the jury during her closing argument: "Why would she make this up? She had nothing to gain by falsely accusing him (Gladu) and everything to lose.''

Gladu, 61, a former 20-year foreman for the Wayland Department of Public Works, is on trial charged with four counts of rape of a child with force and indecent assault and battery on a child. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

During the trial, Perlman told the jury that the victim endured about eight years of alleged sexual assaults by Gladu, formerly of Natick, starting when she was about 5. Gladu would allegedly molest her while she lay in her bunk bed at night, Perlman alleges. Gladu allegedly grew bolder by assaulting the girl in his living room, on his favorite chair and in his bed in locations in Natick and Acton, Perlman said.

After years of alleged sexual abuse, the alleged victim, now 24, testified she was "confused'' by sexual assaults, but they became so common she acted like "a robot" when Gladu allegedly demanded sex.

The victim was afraid of Gladu's anger, afraid of destroying Gladu's family, and afraid no one would believe her, Perlman said. She disclosed the alleged abuse at age 21 after discovering information about a family secret about her relatives.

But Swomley told the jury, "Donald Gladu did not rape her 1,800 times, he didn't rape her once.''

Swomley suggested the allegations were retaliation against Gladu and "lies'' that bring the victim "closer'' to other family members and rallies her own family to support her. He told the jury that the alleged victim entering into counseling before making the allegations so that she could "practice'' what to tell the police.

Swomley also noted that the alleged victim is vague regarding specifics of the alleged sexual assaults, what he described as "free-floating sex acts.'' He told the jury, the victim's testimony comes from "scripts that have been practiced and not true memories.''

Perlman told the jury that gaps in the victim's memory is normal since she has tried to "block out'' these painful memories. Inconsistencies memories, almost a decade old, suggests she hasn't been coached or practiced a script, the prosecutor said.

"The defendant took advantage of the vulnerabilities of a little girl for his own sexual gratification,'' Perlman told the jury.

The jury began its deliberations Wednesday morning. Gladu's fate now rests in the jurors hands.

Photo of Donald Gladu by Lisa Redmond/lisa.redmond@patch.com