True hero: Brave and courageous

For the second time in three years, a 22-year-old woman testified against her father in an Erie County courtroom, saying he sexually molested her while she was growing up. The Register does not normally identify rape victims. But Megan Walls, after consulting with a county crime victim's advocate, asked that her name and photo to be included in the Register's news coverage of her father's trial.She told the Register that, as a victim, allowing the newspaper to publish her identity would be empowering. Indeed. It is also enormously courageous and admirable for Megan Walls to be willing to share her story openly. We are touched by her courage and moved by her bravery.Michael Walls was convicted Monday on 27 different charges of rape and other counts, for a second time. His convictions after his 2016 trial were overturned when an appeals court said the jury relied too much on the testimony of an expert. The Erie County prosecutor's office refused to compromise after the first convictions were overturned. Prosecutors successfully and professionally presented a powerful case against Walls.But Megan Walls was key to what likely will send her father to prison for the rest of his life. She took the witness stand on behalf of every other victim who could not bear the pressure of public scrutiny. She took the witness stand and spoke her truth on behalf of thousands of unheard victims all over the world. She is a tower of strength, being forced for a second time to stand in open court and retell the story about a corrupted and perverse man and what he did to his own family.She's a true hero.Megan Walls takes the stand at Erie County common pleas court in Sandusky on Tuesday, April 30, 2019.