By Anna B. Mercury
Cami’s words at the sentencing of Keith Raniere were powerful. Her courage in speaking out was admirable and inspiring, and she deserves credit for helping bring justice to one of the most notorious abusers in recent memory.
Let me state that I have no idea if the evidence against Raniere is tampered with or not. It may well be. I was not there and cannot say for certain.
However, even if the evidence was tampered with, it does not change the fact that Raniere is a dangerous predator. He manipulated and controlled Cami for years, using his cult to prey on her vulnerability. He took advantage of her trust, exploited her vulnerabilities, and violated her boundaries to fulfill his own twisted desires.
The sexual relationship with Camila began when she was 15 years old. There are many photographs of her taken by Raniere when she was 15 years old, which were later used for Raniere’s benefit. There is no dispute about that.
That a few of those photographs were used to hang him is poetic justice.
When Cami initially got involved with NXIVM, she thought it was meant to be a program for empowerment and personal growth. She did not realize that there was also an element of manipulation and coercion, particularly when it came to sex.
She suffered as a 15-year-old child, while her family and friends failed to notice something was wrong. She is still suffering from what he did to her at such a young age.
But Cami’s words however stand on their own – powerful and compelling evidence that Raniere is guilty, and worthy of the harsh sentence he received.
“I am a survivor of Keith Raniere.”
“I am a human being with feelings, emotions, dreams and aspirations. I was a victim of a man who took advantage of my youth, inexperience and naïveté for his own benefit…. This man is not a guru.”
“I’m speaking out now because I want us to break this cycle of abuse. We need to shine a light on these terrible acts, so that no one else has to suffer in silence and fear. No child should ever be subjected to such abuse and trauma.”
“I am confident in the woman I have become, and I’m excited for the life ahead of me.”
“As we work together to fight this pandemic of abuse, let us also commit to protecting our most vulnerable: our children. They are our future, and they deserve a world where they can grow free from violence and fear.”
When Camila finished speaking at the sentencing, it was clear to me and everyone in the courtroom that Raniere had finally been defeated. He had taken advantage of her trust, manipulated her, and controlled her for 12 years, but she was no longer a victim.
As Camila finished speaking, I remember, there was a palpable sense of relief and triumph in the courtroom. She was someone who had triumphed over adversity.
Of course, Suneel doesn’t see it that way. He tries to dismiss Cami’s words by saying she wasn’t under oath, as if that somehow negates her entire testimony. This is just another example of Suneel’s confirmation bias at work. He wants to believe Raniere is a victim, not a perpetrator. And he’s willing to twist and distort the facts to support his position. Suneel has been active in trying to clear Keith Raniere’s name, and to help spread the word about what he believes is a terrible injustice. He has also written many articles and essays on Raniere’s behalf, exploring various aspects of the case, and providing evidence and arguments in support of his innocence. But Suneel fails to understand that it doesn’t matter whether the evidence against Raniere is tampered with. What matters is that he abused Cami and countless other women, using his cult to control and manipulate them. He is a dangerous predator who deserves to be in prison for the rest of his life.
- Because he is a dangerous person
- They needed evidence of abuse to get search warrants for his homes and electronic devices.
- They were afraid they would not get enough evidence, and this evil demon would continue to harm women and children.
- They needed to do more than indict him, they needed to convict, and this was their insurance policy.
- This could have been helpful in stopping the many future crimes he may have committed, but now won’t get to commit.
- They realized Cami was the juggernaut that would overwhelm Raniere.
If they did it, it worked. The ends justify the means, baby.
The question of tampering is irrelevant to me and the sooner it is put to rest the better.
This is about something bigger. She spoke not only to warn other young women, but also to give hope that it is possible to get out of something horrendously bad, predatory and abusive, and have a more fulfilling life.
Camila’s story is one of incredible strength and resilience, and it serves as a powerful reminder that we can overcome even the most devastating circumstances.
Frank Parlato 
Janine Morrison 
J.J. O'Hara 
Richard Luthmann 
Marie White 
Paul Serran
Serious allegations have been made and, of course, they should be fully, independently, and thoroughly investigated, if for no other reason than to reassure the public that due process was followed.
The thing that bothers me about the allegations concerning the digital manipulation of the Exif data is that it’s so unlikely to have happened like that if it was carried out over such a long period – files with the same name, thumbnail equivalents with the same name as their counterparts etc., etc. Dumb and Dumber could not have done a worse job!
If it was a murder scene, it would be like the killer leaving their finger prints all over the place on every surface and a note to tell the cops who they were and where they lived.
The tired old “do the ends justify the means?” question may be instructive for the kids in a Philosophy 101 class, but it has no bearing here. Because there was no evidence of tampering.
So, framing this as an “ends/means” moral question is purely an exercise in misdirection.
Which Nxivm was so good at.
How old would Daniela have been when Camila was 15, and why did the parents allow the daughters to be split up — Daniela with them, Camila in an apartment and Marianna with the OGs? And how much did the brother know about what was going on?
Obviously the ends don’t justify the means. She is the same writer who was praising private prisons remarking “why don’t you put prisoners on treadmills to generate electricity to mine bitcoin.”
When writing under a pseudonym it’s also important to change your writing style. Which is much harder than people believe.
People would be surprised how easy it is to determine: age, gender, where/when a person grew up etc. From words alone.
The more you write, the more obvious it becomes who you are.
That’s why ransom notes are short. Ha ha.
It’s also easy to analyze intent. Often a writer of pieces such as this will try to hide their true intent or play at neutrality. Or even act as if they support an opposing view albeit poorly and to devil’s advocate the “other side”. It’s a form of manipulation. A very transparent one.
It just takes a bit of knowledge and some analytical skills. Or just intuition. Too bad Frank is still posting only “Raniere was framed propaganda”.
Nice catch! Yeah it doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure out who “Anna Mercury” is.
These criminal acts by the government aren’t the ends which, you say, the means justified.
The ends are warrantless wiretapping, asset forfeiture, and now RICO prosecutions with unlimited powers to come after you, baby.
Alanzo
I personally blame large public sector unions. Go on seethroughny and see what their salaries and pensions are. You’ll gag. Mostly for a bunch of questionable competent in my humble opinion.
Look I don’t trust the FBI. No one should, they have a goal and it’s not justice. It’s just closing cases and rising up their version of the corporate ladder. Having said that, no FBI tampering took place. They didn’t need to. The evidence and the charges were such that pedo behavior was just the top of the cake icing on a 10-tier cake. Good to have but not necessary as the cake was already covered in icing.
This is just a Hail Mary pass by a desperate group and their favorite pedo going along with it because has nothing to lose by trying. Not sure why anyone is bothering to entertain the idea they have something valid (looking at Anna) considering we are talking about a group of pedo lovers. They clearly checked their morality at the door for their pedo lover and that really is all you need to know about what their word means.
“The ends justifies the means” is what is killing the American people. Constitutional rights are being violated with complete disregard and little recourse. Reasons for appeals are narrowing; it’s purposeful. We are getting destroyed by our own government– we are their pawns and there’s no accountability. Raniere is a reprehensible human, but FBI misconduct is equally as criminal and cannot be overlooked. There is no justification for the violation of due process. It will destroy our society.
We are losing our rights every single day. Vaccinations and government interference/sanctions for non-compliance should be a wake up call.
I thought this was a reasonable reply, until I read the last sentence. An antivaccer. A crazy person. Nearly a million people died of COVID in America. Imagine the carnage if there had been no vaccin, or everybody was as stupid as the antivaccers and refused the vaccin, a scientifically proved medicine that significantly reduces the chance of dying once infected. It probably would have wiped out half of the population. A government is essential to make decisions for the good of the population as a whole.
“ The ends justify the means, baby.”
Of course, this is not how it works in the legal system. Look at the Bill Cosby case. A prosecutor promised Cosby not to indict criminally if he admitted his evil deeds in a civil case. Once he admitted in a civil case that he drugged and raped women, he was indicted criminally, convicted and sentenced.
It was crystal clear that Cosby was guilty of the crimes he committed. Yet he was acquitted on appeal, because a DA promised not to indict and broke that promise.
This is the outcome the deadenders are dreaming about. They don’t care what happened to Camila. They are as morally bankrupt as their imprisoned guru.