Accused Serial Rapist Free On Bond, Alleged Victims Asking, Why?
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A suspected serial rapist is out of jail on bond tonight, and his accusers are asking why.
Many of Marc Winner's alleged victims say they were raped as his former tanning salon.
Legal experts say the judges in this case are experienced and thought through the decision when they set Winner's bail.
"To see him be able to post bond, and essentially be free is frustrating," said Sharmili Majmudar, executive director of Rape Victim Advocates.
Watching Winner walk free from jail Tuesday while facing four rape cases can been traumatic for his accusers, Majmudar said.
"Knowing where someone is, and knowing that they're in a secure place and they're not able to hurt you can be really meaningful," she said.
Prosecutors say Winner assaulted nine women from 2009 to 2015.
Some of those accusers were customers and employees of his now-closed West Loop tanning salon. Only four are within the statute of limitations.
A Cook County judge reduced his no bond order last week, after a previous judge ruled him a danger to society. That allowed him to put up the cash and get out.
"What a judge is trying to do is to balance the protection of the public and make sure the defendant comes to court. On the other hand, the defendant is presumed to be innocent," CBS 2 Legal Analyst Irv Miller said. "It's kind of like looking in a crystal ball when you are a judge, 'Will this guy come to court? Is he going to hurt someone else? And, yet, do I take his liberty away from him right now?'"
When CBS 2 visited Winner's home Wednesday, he refused to comment about the case.
Both the Cook County state's attorney's office and Winner's attorney declined comment.
