Witnesses did not report gang rape

[The Straight Story]

Witnesses did not report gang rape

RICHMOND, Calif., Oct. 26 (UPI) -- Police in Richmond, Calif., said Monday about a dozen people witnessed a gang rape of a 15-year-old girl but none of the witnesses reported the crime.

A suspect was in custody and police were looking for others Monday in the rape outside a Richmond High School homecoming dance Friday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday.

"What's shocking about it is there were so many people willing to involve themselves in such a serious crime," Richmond Police Lt. Mark Gagan said.

The victim, a student at Richmond High, left the dance about 9:30 p.m. PDT and was walking alone, expecting her father to pick her up, police said. A schoolmate invited her to join others who were hanging out and drinking on campus, Gagan said -- noting the girl drank a large amount of alcohol before she was raped by others in the group.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2009/10/26/Witnesses-did-not-report-gang-rape/UPI-77461256606656/

[get the red out]

1. I hope for prosecution

This is sickening, I hope all who participated are prosecuted to the full extent of the law. People are becoming so desensitized to the most barbaric behaviors, maybe they can figure things out better in jail.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot of USAirways Flight 1549,

remarked on TV that he had read about Kitty Genovese while growing up and that he had been affected by it. He wanted to be ready to act, even if it meant he would be the only one.

This country is over. 2001-2008 was more than it could take.

[Princess Turandot]

6. As a New Yorker, the Genovese story came to my mind immediately...

so many people paralyzed by indecision.

And yet, just 2 years ago, in the same city, a man made a split second decision and jumped down to a subway track, with a train approaching the station, to try to help a complete stranger who had fallen off of the platform. He covered the man with his body as the subway train rolled over both of them, in an act of almost incomprehensible courage.

We ain't over yet. Mr. Autrey proved that.

[Le Taz Hot]

2. " . . .noting the girl drank a large amount of alcohol . . ."

:wtf: does this have to do with her being raped??????

[atreides1]

4. It'll be used by the defense

Regardless of how far we've evolved, there are still those who place blame on the victim in rape cases.

A good defense attorney will use her drinking as a defense.

[whathehell]

7. ..and a good prosecutor will have his nuts for lunch.

Men get drunk all the time..Is it an excuse to commit a crime against them?...I don't think so.

[get the red out]

5. Blame the victim

If a girl drinks, then whatever happens to her is her fault, not the fault of the criminals.

Makes me ill. I had a sociology teacher in college talk about this line of thinking, and that in my state it used to be a law that if a woman had consumed any alcohol than she could accuse no one of rape in a court of law, it was on her. Talk about blowing the mind of a freshman in 1982, that did it! It was one of the first times I started to recognize what we women were up against.

[rocktivity]

8. Maybe the witnesses weren't really witnesses

That is, maybe they didn't really "see" it as a crime. They may have been too scared to get involved--or maybe they just didn't really care.

;(
rocktivity

[Rudy Adams]

9. Just another "show" for young people

Have you watched the aptly-nicknamed "boob tube" lately?

[seabeyond]

11. yes. exactly. nt

[TexasObserver]

10. This story is utterly appalling.

I don't understand how so many people in the same place can be so oblivious to their duty to act.

[Berry Cool]

12. Let me explain it to you.

1. Many have received the message from our culture that incapacitated females are fair game and that any girl or woman "stupid" enough to drink too much or go off with a bunch of guys is "asking for it" or "deserves what she gets." Therefore, they saw no crime in what was going on. To them, it was entertainment...another reality show.

2. Many of them participated in raping the girl. They're certainly not going to report it, lest they get in trouble.

3. Many of them didn't participate, but watched and took pictures. Some of them may have felt that what was going on was wrong, but they were afraid of getting in trouble just for being there. Or maybe they too were very drunk and believed their parents would ground them for life. They were too afraid of the consequences for themselves to act.

So, there you have it.

Disgusting, but that's how it happens.

[Rebubula]

13. Our culture??

Gauging by the names of the already arrested...I do not think it is the US culture that should be on trial here.

Either way...what a bunch of sick fucks and the people that stood by and did nothing are just as complicit.

[mikelgb]

14. Oh, and what culture should be in trial, which country do you just know they are from?

Gauging by your name...

[Brooklyns_Finest]

15. Salvadoran

There is a large and growing hispanic population in Richmond CA. I know, because I work in Richmond's "Iron Triangle". It is actually pretty bad here. I have often seen police in caravans with full body armour and high powered weapons in search of the gang bangers and drug dealers who run this city.

With that said, there is a large black population in Richmond, and they have the same problems that their hispanic counterparts have. In the past 4 months, there were two separate weekends where 7 black kids were murdered in gang violence.

Gang rapes are definitely something I can see occurring in this town. Police will probably not be able to get anyone to come forth as a witness either. It really is just not worth the risk.

With that said, unlike LA, the hispanics and blacks here get along fairly well enough.

[lunatica]

16. I hope they'll find witnesses ready to talk after some soul searching

This prosecution is just beginning. And maybe it needs to make the national news and headlines in order to begin to address these problems.