Yesterday, the two "heroic" teens were found guilty of their charges, and sentenced for their crime. However, most of the news sources who have commented on the trial have seemingly taken the side of the perpetrators, and have shamed the victim by blaming her for what happened to her at the party. In my previous blog post, I mentioned rape culture, which is clearly something that is prevalent in this crime. Rather than focusing on the detrimental effects and suffering that this 16 year old girl will deal with for the rest of her life, news outlets have been focusing on the "destroyed" lives of the attackers. Across the nation, blame is being put on the young girl for having "asked for it" (in rape culture, this is the signature line that excuses rapists of their actions) as a result of her intoxication and dress code at the party. It is absolutely shameful that the young victim of such a disgusting crime is the one being called a "drunk" and a "slut" by society. Not only do these accusations further the depression of the victim and delay her recovery process, but these claims also prevent other rape victims from coming forward and demanding justice.
In this video, the CNN coverage of the trial concentrated on the perpetrators who "literally watched as they believed their lives fell apart." CNN was not the only media source that sympathized with the boys rather than supporting the terrorized victim. ABC news focused on the breakdown of the perpetrators and their apologies in court, as if to persuade viewers to pity the rapists. Other news sources, such as NBC and USA Today sympathized towards the loss of two, promising football careers, at the expense of deeming the victim a drunk.
What are your thoughts on the verdict of the case? Do you believe that the rapists should be spared from harsh sentencing? How can we change rape culture in order to create a greater support system for rape victims? Should the media apologize to the victim and her family for their cruelty and insensitivity regarding her assault? Would the feedback from the media be different if the roles were reversed, and a young boy was assaulted by two girls?
Wow, I remember reading about this and I believe its a bit harsh. In the statements I read on this case yesterday a girl who was at the party was in favor of the boys as well stating that the boys never raped her that the photo that was taken of her "unconscious" was just a joke and they never touched her, in fact she was conscious just drunk. Now up until yesterday I didn't pay much attention to this case so its just absurd how the media is getting into something so public, and blowing it out of proportion for the victim. Regardless of what occurred that night the girl's image was still released and the way they were holding her was not a way to hold a girl who was unconscious. I think if it were a mail it would of been kept more secret and not as much info as the female victim would of been released because that's "worth" keeping private which is a shame... And all of this is so dumb because there is ways to prove if a female was raped or not so the whole release on rape charges seem to be true as far as the victim. The only reason why they are sympathizing for the boys is because they are males and of course FOOTBALL stars who are trained to do so as they go off to college.
ReplyDeleteThat entire video is shameful. I don't have an ounce of sympathy for those two guys, knowing that they were willing to take advantage of that girl's state and attack her. They have to learn that there are consequences to their actions, and just because they're "football stars with promising futures" doesn't mean that any crimes they commit will just be ignored. Although I am curious as to why they were tried in a juvenile court and why they each only got a year in prison. I don't know much about sentencing when it comes to rape, but I personally think they should both be tried as adults and go to jail for much longer than that. I can't even imagine what kind of trauma that girl must be dealing with right now, and it's definitely going to continue for years into the future. She deserves more justice than this.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you both. @intellectuallady4, the sympathy shown for the rapists is definitely rooted in the fact that they are "football heroes of the town." I actually transferred from a university where the athletes were put on pedestals and treated like celebrities. As long as what you do on the court or on the football/soccer/lacrosse field reflects a victorious image on the school, the extracurriculars of the athletes are not of a concern or deserving of repercussions, no matter how badly they act. In my two years away at school, there were COUNTLESS cases of athletes violating other women in my grade. One athlete on my floor actually attacked my next door neighbor, and she never spoke up about it except to our floor mates. The incidents piled up, and by the end of my sophomore year at that school, at least 5 women that I knew/knew of were violated by the men of various sports teams.
ReplyDeleteThe reaction of the media has been beyond disgusting. In a way, its beneficial that they were tried in juvenile court. In that way, an impartial, unsympathetic judge was the only person to decide on the verdict. I believe that if they were tried in adult court, the jury (especially if there were a majority of men, and sympathetic women) may have passed a lighter consequence. I do agree with you, @creativedreamer, that their sentence should be a more serious one. In a nation that claims that victims of rape deserve it, I dont believe that the victim in this case will see the justice she deserves.
what kind of video is that? I can't believe that the people in the media are feeling sympathy for those two guys. I don't feel bad for them at all. They acted like jerks. They took advantage of a teenage girl while intoxicated. The teenage girl is the victim here. In my humble opinion, I don't think one year and two years in jail will make up for that horrible crime. I would have been happy with at least five. I do hope that this case will serve as a life lesson for not only those two guys, but for all male and female teenagers. They should respect the law and refrain from drinking alcohol because they are under age. How do these teenagers get the alcohol? I don't think adults would go and buy it for them. If an adult actually went and got them alcohol, that person should have been sentenced too.
ReplyDeleteYou know these reporters and the news medias are really disgraceful. They are suppose to educate us on the issue not try to make us feel sympathy for the wrong. Cases like these happen all the time they try to make the victim the wrong instead of the right. I didn't know that having star football team players was more important that the innocence of a young teen taken away from her? The time these boys are serving is a slap in the face to the victim they should in my opinion be serving more time. What strikes me the most is how this news reporter is more concerned for the lives of the football players than the victim. People really have to question is the fame of a football team more important than the life of a teen ripped away from her?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the multiple comments above. I think it is a dam shame that these athletes are even getting sympathy from the public. No where do they talk about the effect an toll this is taking on the girl. What these boys are going through now will never compare to all that this girl has to go through. They should serve a real full sentence. It is disappointing that in our society, there is an acceptance or tolerance to a girl being abused regardless of her conscious state of mind. It is not ok. Like Sheryl Sandberg says, we as women have to step up, voice ourselves, and lean in.
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