<p>Have you guys been aware of the sexual assault case in Steubenville, OH? How utterly bizarre and freakish it’s become. I mean it already was, but wow.</p>
<p>[Defense</a> battles social media blizzard in Ohio rape case - CNN.com](<a href=“http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/04/justice/ohio-rape-online-video/index.html?hpt=hp_c1]Defense”>http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/04/justice/ohio-rape-online-video/index.html?hpt=hp_c1)</p>
<p>I find it extremely disturbing some of the towns residents are more concerned about how “outsiders are ruining their reputation” than about the heinous victimization of the rape victim. </p>
<p>Shades of similar BS one client’s granddaughter had to deal with vis a vis her idiotic local school administration/schoolboard who all took the side of her violent stalker and used their lawyers to appeal two court orders that barred him from returning to the school due to his violent tendencies and felony conviction.</p>
<p>Her school district also seems to have the same mentality of being more concerned about the local reputation rather than any concern for victims judging by a long history of downplaying/covering up previous instances of harassment, bullying, and violent stalking there.</p>
<p>You have the most unbelievable collection of anecdotes, cobrat.</p>
<p>What I find wild about the whole situation is the involvement of Anonymous. Plus also the pictures and video.</p>
<p>ZM, I heard it and I’m not surprised. It’s disgusting and I’m honestly glad Anonymous is exposing it. These need to be publicized and addressed.</p>
<p>I don’t think there’s enough from the story as presented to convict anybody of anything. That’s why “authorities are sifting through the evidence”.</p>
<p>I haven’t looked at the videos, but if the girl is visible in the videos I’m not sure Anonymous is doing her a favor.</p>
<p>This case reminds me of the Savannah Dietrich case. Fortunately, the boys in that case didn’t go as far–though they certainly went WAY too far.</p>
<p>Anonymous blurred the girl. But the boys are visible, and audible. And seeing the one picture with one boy holding the completely limp girl by her ankles, and the other boy by her wrists, the boys must be lying when they say she walked to the car on her own power. Allegedly, they dragged an unconscious girl to three parties!</p>
<p>There’s more. Anonymous alleges (and who knows if this is true) a sleazy coverup involving various law enforcement personnel. A prosecutor has a son on the football team in question. Various people in positions of power are chummy with football coaches and parents of players. Anonymous further alleges (again, who knows if this is true) that the 15-year-old victim was lured to the first party with a plot hatched by a vengeful ex-boyfriend and then drugged with a date rape drug. The alleged ex-boyfriend did in fact put up horrible tweets about the girl, we know that much.</p>
<p>The one video I saw, where the young woman was off-camera, was horrifying: drunk boys giggling about having raped the girl.</p>
<p>If the allegations are true, this is worse than the Savannah Dietrich case.</p>
<p>Oh, it’s WAY worse than the Savannah Dietrich case–again assuming the allegations are true. I’m just posting this in case the fact that I said it reminded me of it is misconstrued.</p>
<p>It is worse than the Savannah Dietrich case, but both are inexcusable.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, jonri, I misread your post to be saying you thought the Deitrich case was worse. My bad.</p>
<p>@gouf78 There’s a whole video of the kids confessing and laughing about it – making jokes about how “dead the girl was.”</p>
<p>The boy in the one video bragging and joking about the rape for 12 minutes is apparently a student at Ohio State now and their facebook is getting slammed by demands he be expelled. (I haven’t watched the video, just reading about it made me sick). What a repulsive little creep.</p>
<p>It is a very disturbing story in many ways, from the ghastly behavior and attitude of the students involved to the subsequent unforgivable behavior of some of the adults including coaches, parents, and authorities.</p>
<p>According to the NY Times story <a href=“Rape Case Unfolds Online and Divides Steubenville - The New York Times”>Rape Case Unfolds Online and Divides Steubenville - The New York Times; not only did the coach testify on behalf of the two boys charged, he banned the players who testified against them from the team.</p>
<p>Update to the Times story: the defamation case against the woman who blogged about the case and those who posted about it on her site has been dismissed. The plaintiff was allowed to post his view on her site–which amounts to “I wasn’t a rapist and I’m really sorry I posted the photo I took and tweeted about the rape.” <a href=“http://prinniefied.com/wp/case-dismissed/#more-1357[/url]”>http://prinniefied.com/wp/case-dismissed/#more-1357</a></p>
<p>These stupid statements of contrition are worthless - written by an attorney and nothing at all to do with anything the student really feel “oops sorry I got caught”. </p>
<p>Something seriously wrong with people who want to have it out with unconscious women, and all the adults protecting some image or the other; the world will be a whole lot better served if they got an inflatable doll.</p>
<p>I watched the first 5 minutes of the video. Wow. So disturbing. I hate to sound like an old fogey, but were teenagers this nonchalant/uncaring/criminal when we were young? Or it social media just making it all more “out there”?</p>
<p>[Anonymous</a> turns private eye in Ohio rape case ? The Register](<a href=“http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/04/anonymous_ohio_rape_case/]Anonymous”>Anonymous turns private eye in Ohio rape case • The Register)</p>
<p>There’s another thread about this on the Parents’ Forum, at <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1441681-should-ohio-state-expel-freshman-student-video-objectionable-speech-during-hs.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1441681-should-ohio-state-expel-freshman-student-video-objectionable-speech-during-hs.html</a></p>
<p>Maybe they should be combined?</p>
<p>I just watched the video of the guy sitting there for 12 minutes laughing and joking about what had happened, obviously that same night. It’s disgusting.</p>
<p>Why is Anonymous involved in this case? I thought they were a hacker group?</p>
<p>What is it with football culture and rape coverups ?</p>
<p>What a mess. [Ohio</a> town’s beloved high school football team to take center stage in rape case - U.S. News](<a href=“U.S. News: Latest Breaking Stories, Video, and Photos on American Politics, Economy, and Society | NBC News”>U.S. News: Latest Breaking Stories, Video, and Photos on American Politics, Economy, and Society | NBC News)</p>
<p>Football above all else. Sound familiar?</p>
<p>I think it is unfortunate that this case has received so much media attention. No matter what the outcome in court - too many people have had their names dragged through the mud - the female victim included. The boys are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law - not the court of public opinion. I have to question the usage of the word “rape” in this case. They may have touched her in an inappropriate manner - but I have yet to read anything that corroborates rape - and there is no physical evidence of such. Various news outlets and social media are describing this case as “gang rape” - and from what I have read - that seems to be an exaggeration.</p>
<p>Also want to note that the boy who made the 12 minute video was not even there at the time. These kids were incredibly foolish in what they did and the pictures/video they took and passed around - but they were all drunk. I think they have to share the blame and responsibility. If the situation was reversed and the drunk girl had fondled the drunk boys - would there be such an uproar? I hate what happened - but I would also hate to see lives ruined over this incident.</p>