The Centre Daily Times has done an excellent job reporting on the Sandusky trial.

As is the case in trials like this, the prosecution represents the commonwealth, not the victims. And, in Pennsylvania, expert testimony about the experience of victims is not allowed in court.

So often, juries and the wider community are left asking and wondering things such as why a victim would wait so long to tell, why a victim might react as he or she does or how someone claiming something terrible happened can be so calm when testifying.

The reporters’ and the paper’s commitment to telling the whole story and putting things in context for the community has helped people answer those questions appropriately.

To say that this has been a learning experience for the whole community is certainly an understatement. But the CDT has helped make the conversations about child sexual abuse in our community more educated and intelligent — and, consequently, people are more likely to decide to do the right thing in the future. Coverage has not only been balanced and fair, but it has given victims a desperately needed voice.

Anne Ard State College

The writer is executive director of the Centre County Women’s Resource Center.