The last two of nine men who were accused of raping a then-17 year old girl four years ago were cleared of all responsibility. Let me take a few minutes to explain to you why this makes me so angry I can hardly breathe.
Here’s the basic rundown: House party. Everyone’s really drunk, including a young girl who’s flirting with all the guys and (maybe) even invites one into a bedroom with her. Supposedly she keeps asking for more alcohol, from more guys, until eventually she’s in a room, with eight or so guys from the team, comatose, lying in vomit with some guy between her legs. She has to be taken to the hospital. Rape charges ensue. The District Attorney decides not to pursue criminal case (which is really what most of this rant is about); most of the defendants are dropped from the trial and the subsequent civil case only deals with the two least incriminated of the original defendants. It’s pretty much decided that the victim was asking for it anyway.
First off, I want to emphasize that “she was asking for it” does not excuse anyone. Even if she was asking, explicitly, for eight guys to crowd her while she slipped in and out of consciousness and take turns using her body, which male says “oh sure, lemme just grab my teammates!”
Maybe some small portion, if the request seemed genuine. But no request made while under the influence is reliable. If she had been running around with a noose and begging people to hang her and someone did, would they be cleared of responsibility for her death?
I’m getting hung up on this “asking for it” bit because it makes it sound like any crime is justifiable if a woman asks for sex.
So, as a young female, I would love to take the liberty to display an obscene gesture with a certain finger of mine, but I will just take this opportunity to word my feelings. To the judges and jurors who allowed this to happen and the men who perpetrated the crime: you’ve taken a giant step toward maintaining the principle that all women are weak, dirty whores who deserve what’s coming to them.
