16 Year Old Girl from Steubenville, Ohio Raped After Becoming Unconscious

[Pride]

On August 22, 2012, Trent Mays and Malik Richmond, two 16-year-olds from Steubenville, Ohio, were taken into custody for drugging and raping a 16-year-old girl. The case has gained the Internet’s attention when Anonymous hacked the boys computers and uploaded pictures and a video of them laughing and making jokes about raping the girl.

Thank you also to Alexandra Goddard, who screen capped the tweets from Cody Saltsman (the boy who uploaded the Instagram photo above) and uploaded them to her blog.

Both of the teens have stuck to the story that the sex was consensual. Their attorney, Walter Madison, is arguing that because the girl (who has chosen to remain anonymous) made the conscious choice to drink before and during the party as well as leaving with the boys, she had all the will power to consent or deny to sex.

However, party-goers stated that she was unable to walk, talk and was vomiting on herself, so I highly doubt that she was capable on consenting to being drugged, having sex with multiple partners and then being urinated on.

“There’s an abundance of evidence here that she was making decisions, cognitive choices,” Madison [attorney] said. “She didn’t affirmatively say no.”
There is also evidence that members of the football team that Mays and Richmond were a part of helped spread pictures of the victim after rape around the student body and helped cover up the rape when the police caught wind of it. Also, these group of teens were nicknamed, ‘The Rape Crew.‘

The judge who was previously assigned to the case had to be replaced after it was uncovered that he had close ties with the football team.

This is the video that the article was talking about:
[video=youtube;W1oahqCzwcY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1oahqCzwcY&bpctr=1363479464[/video]

I find this to be absolutely revolting. And it's even more disgusting to think they made a video about it. What do you guys think about this?

 

[Helioptile]

...
...
...Disgusting.

 

[Peachy]

This is disgusting on so many levels.

 

[Xita]

This makes my blood boil every time I hear about this.

 

[Kthleen]

Guilty.

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — Two high school football stars were found guilty on Sunday of raping a 16-year-old girl last August, in a case that drew wide attention for the way social media spurred the initial prosecution and later helped galvanize national outrage over the episode. The town’s obsession over its football team, many said, had shielded other teenagers who did little or nothing to protect the girl.

One football player, Trent Mays, 17, who had been a quarterback on the powerhouse Steubenville High School football team, was sentenced to serve at least two years in the state juvenile system, while the other, Ma’lik Richmond, 16, who played wide receiver, was sentenced to serve at least one year. Both could end up in juvenile jail until they are 21, at the discretion of the state Department of Youth Services. Mr. Mays’ minimum sentence is twice as long as Mr. Richmond’s because he was found guilty of two different charges.

After Judge Thomas Lipps read his decision, both boys broke down and sobbed. Mr. Richmond turned to his lawyer, Walter Madison, and said, “My life is over.”

Both Mr. Mays and Mr. Richmond apologized to the victim and her family. Mr. Richmond walked over to where they were sitting and said, “I had not intended to do anything like this. I’m sorry to put you through this,” before he broke down, unable to speak any more, and embraced a court officer.

The judge found that both boys had used their fingers to penetrate the girl while she was so drunk in the early morning hours of Aug. 12 that she lacked the cognitive ability to give her consent for sex. A picture that was circulated around classmates the day after the assault showed the victim naked and passed out. Ohio law defines rape as including digital penetration.

More at source

 

[Xita]

Good, but I think they be in there way longer than a couple years (or one year.)

After Judge Thomas Lipps read his decision, both boys broke down and sobbed. Mr. Richmond turned to his lawyer, Walter Madison, and said, “My life is over.”

Your life would've been over even if you were acquitted. Court of Public Opinion and all that.

 

[Lord Naarghul]

I might be sickened of the whole case, but I'm more sickened by the media sensationalism surrounding this case. It's just like the Casey Anthony case; yeah it was horrible, but making a media storm is entirely void of purpose. The same thing applies now. It's one thing for state media or local media to cover it, it's entirely different for the national media to seize on it and whip up a frenzy of opinions. The story should have never left Ohio.

 

[Peachy]

What really makes me mad is that some media is portraying the two boys as the victims.

 

[megaevolvedmushroom]

Girl got raped and the Guys are the victims?

 

[蜃気楼]

Girl got raped and the Guys are the victims?

That's the kinda sick world we live in.

 

[Typhlosionisafirebadger]

man the "affirmatively say no" bit bugs me the most

like really? if there was ever a time to feel outrage, it's now and how that was considered a legitimate defense of their actions

 

[Dorothy]

After Judge Thomas Lipps read his decision, both boys broke down and sobbed. Mr. Richmond turned to his lawyer, Walter Madison, and said, “My life is over.”

Maybe you shouldn't have fucking raped someone then.

 

[Shinobu]

I hope the victim doesn't watch CNN.

 

[InuNaruPokeAlchemist]

I hate how they are treating the guys who did it like victims. They only doing that since the two a freaking football players.

*insert rage face*

 

[Fig]

Honestly...

I do feel a bit of sympathy for these kids. Not because they'r efootball players; because they're teenagers. And while that certainly doesn't excuse what they did - most teenagers manage not to do it - and while they certainly do deserve punishment for it, and very serious punishment...Not something that stick to you for life. Not for what you do as a teen. And certainly not over a single event.

And yes, I know, the lot of you are out there thinking "I'd never do this". And it's true. But believe me, ten, twenty years from now you will look back on your teenage years and there will be things you did that you hope nobody ever bring up again. Because your judgement will have grown sounder then, your mind more developped.

What a person does as a teen is not a good way to see what kind of person they will be as adults. And it's why the notion of trying teens as
adults is a revenge-filled fantasy that has nothing to do with justice or safety.

NONE of which excuse CNN's focus on sympathizing with the rapists and saying nothing of the victim; especially not with all the apologists out there.

 

[Lugion]

Exactly what @Evil Figment; said. I can't help but feel sorry for those two boys, but God damn it, you can't just take advantage of people like that.

 

[Pokemaster97]

I think it's a sad situation for everyone involved in this case. The victim, the families, and the two boys. These are teenagers, all with promising futures, but because of the rape ALL of them will be haunted by it for the rest of their lives. While I understand that it may not seem fair that this one decision will have to stay with the boys for the rest of their lives, it was certainly not fair what they did to the victim, or the lasting effects she'll also have to deal with.

 

[John Understands]

waiwaiwaiwai

CNN thinks the rapists are the victims?!, EVEN THOUGH THEY DID SOMETHING VERY ILLEGAL, JUST BECAUSE THEY WILL LOSE OUT ON THEIR LIVES FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS?!!!

Spoiler

 

[Dorothy]

And yes, I know, the lot of you are out there thinking "I'd never do this". And it's true. But believe me, ten, twenty years from now you will look back on your teenage years and there will be things you did that you hope nobody ever bring up again. Because your judgement will have grown sounder then, your mind more developped.

I'm sorry, but it seems a bit of a reach to describe raping someone and then bragging about it as just a "stupid teenage mistake." It just seems to trivialize what a huge and awful thing rape is.

There's no justification or rationalization for rape, no matter situation or age. period.

 

[Shinobu]

Can't say I'm too surprised: BREAKING NEWS: 2 arrested in connection with threats to Jane Doe | www.wtov9.com