‘Wifely’ contract draws attention to abuse case
Iowa man faces charges of kidnapping and sexually assaulting wife
Updated: 4:12 p.m. ET Feb. 26, 2006
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa - Court documents detailing a husband’s expectations of his wife have drawn widespread attention to a kidnapping and domestic abuse case.
Travis Frey, 33, was charged with first-degree kidnapping and domestic abuse assault causing injury in November after his wife alleged he tied her up and sexually assaulted her at least three times, according to court documents.
The case has received national and international exposure due to a five-page document in the court file titled “Contract of Wifely Expectations.”
Frey allegedly presented the contract to his wife as a means of specifying how she should dress and what she should wear. She also was expected to do “anything and everything” that Frey wanted.
Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber said he has received requests for interviews from several media outlets, including Geraldo Rivera’s show and a German television station. Last week, Wilber and Frey’s attorney, Bill McGinn, appeared on MSNBC.
Wilber said he understands the salaciousness of the expectations contract, but he is concerned that a focus on that aspect of the case is drawing attention away from the serious nature of the charges.
“This is a real case with serious allegations,” he said. “The state and Mr. Frey both deserve a fair trial and I don’t want a sideshow atmosphere to take away from the trial.
“We will focus on the elements of the case that we have to prove, and a breach of contract is not one of them,” Wilber said. “This is not a contract dispute, it is a case of kidnapping and domestic abuse. (Frey) presented contractual terms and the victim refused to sign it and then he forced those terms on her against her will.”
Frey also is charged with 12 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after a police seized a home computer and found illegal pictures. He has pleaded not guilty and remains free on bond while awaiting trial on March 14.
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