I pit not only the woman who lied and tarnished the reputation of these men, a team and a school, but I pit the people who forged protests and accosted these men despite zero evidence that a crime occured. What the hell were they expecting to accomplish by protesting? And what were they protesting anyway? And what of the coach that retired? A huge fucking mess blown out of proportion with people with entirely too much time on their hands.
It’s worth noting that the source there is the team’s attorneys, but given that this party was a month ago and there have still been no charges filed, I think it’s probable that nothing happened. Also, it doesn’t sound like the police or prosecutors in Durham are offering a different interpretation.
Are you kidding? There is no evidence that she lied about anything, and very little reason to doubt her story at this point. I think it’s a little too soon to be calling her a lying whore.
Maybe gate crashers raped her? They might have been able to be low key enough that no one really took note of them, and the stripper would assume they belonged there (not knowing the team members intimately) and would think it was team members assaulting her? I don’t know what happened, but that is a possibility. I think it is more possible then the stripper being stupid enough to think she could pull off a scam in this age of DNA technology.
Seems like a big difference between presuming guilt and going fifty miles to the other end of the spectrum and saying they’re SO INNOCENT that she’s a lying whore.
How about we reserve judgement on EVERYONE involved? Or is that wierd?
“Authorities ordered 46 of the 47 players on Duke’s lacrosse team to submit DNA samples to investigators. Because the woman said her attackers were white, the team’s sole black player was not tested.”
Can someone clarify the legality of this for me? I had been under the impression (apparently mistaken) that being of the same race as an alleged perpetrator would not be enough probable cause to compel DNA.
(not to jump in on your rant, but perhaps to tag on an additional rant…)
Being of the same race, and being in the location at the time of the rape apparently is enough. They tested everyone that they knew was at the party. That still leaves the possibility that they missed people, because they gate crashed and went unnoticed.
Seems interesting that the police DNA tested her phone, finger nails and every other conceivable place DNA might have been present from the alleged attack. So if she had lent her phone to one of the team members, or slapped one who got to close to her dancing, would he now be up for rape charges.
Presumeably they would question the dancer about things like that, Bippy. I would think they asked if she loaned her phone to anyone, and maybe if she touched anyone too.
I live down the road from this whole mess. Earlier today, there was a piece in the paper about photographs that seem to support the players as well. I really feel for this young woman, who seems to have shown up at this party already tanked and banged up and who—I bet—does not remember anything that happened after the party. But NOTHING justifies false accusations of rape, just as nothing justifies the rank behavior of various “student atheletes” that is tolerated at campuses all over the country. Bad, wrong, and stupid…all of it, all of them. This is a perfect storm of race, class, alcohol and perceived priviledge. What a mess.
What you said was there is “very little reason to doubt her story at this point”. With absolutely zero DNA evidence from what was alleged to be a savage beating and rape, I’d say that there is quite ample reason to doubt her story at this point.
was defense attorney Wade Smith, so take it with a grain of salt. I smell spin. Probably the unspoken words in that phrase should be “who are my client(s)”. When I see a more official source saying the found no DNA whatsoever I will be less skeptical.
Do you really think that a defense attorney would risk destroying his clients (and his case) by lying about the evidence when the truth would come out in short order? I don’t.
No, but I do think he might not speak his thoughts very well in his rush to tell the world that his clients were excluded. Reread what I said. I might not have phrased it the best. I think the attorney likely unintentionally spun the truth, and the media is having a heyday. In any case, why not wait to see if someone more official than a defense attorney comes forward and states that no DNA evidence whatsoever was found. The article only quotes the defense attorney. Find me one where more unbiased officials say that.
I’m fairly certain there are acts which are legally defined as sexual assault and rape which would not result in DNA of the assailants on or in the victim’s body.