http://m.jezebel.com/5640843/gang+rape-victims-horrific-facebook-ordealGang-Rape Victim's Horrific Facebook Ordeal
By Irin Carmon, Sep 17, 2010 12:45 PM
Just when we think we've already heard the worst, a 16-year-old Canadian girl is raped and drugged by a gang of boys and men, and the photos go viral on Facebook.
The first time the girl was victimized was at a party where, it is believed, she was given a "date rape drug" (unclear which) and raped by a half-dozen men and boys. Police in suburban Vancouver said the assault was "'violent,' leaving the girl with undisclosed injuries," according to The Globe And Mail. Perpetrators were both minors and adults, and one 16-year-old boy was held briefly and may be charged with producing and distributing child pornography.
The next time was how she found out about her own rape: When the photos were posted and reposted on Facebook. "Every time it's shut down on one Facebook [account], it seems to reappear and it's been shared in several communities in the Lower Mainland, so the victim has to relive it on a daily basis," one official told the paper.
The most recent crime against this girl is the victim-blaming in the interviews with other partygoers and Facebook comments. It's not surprising, if still heinous and disappointing, that anonymous commenters would write things like "Straight up WHORE," a "complete slut," and "Cmon who's not down for a gang bang" on Facebook.
But they also said so in person. Here is a party attendee identified as "Justin," speaking to CTV:
"We are thinking it's being over-exaggerated. I don't think she was as messed up as she's making it out to be," he said. "I don't think she was raped.... Apparently she was saying stuff."
And one Martin Duckhorn:
"It just sounds like she's more embarrassed about it so she's trying to turn it to make it sound like she's a victim of something, rather than to say that she did something and that she knows that it was incredibly idiotic," he said.
Both of these charming gentleman can be seen making their case in the clip below:
Law enforcement officials have reiterated that this was absolutely a rape, and that anyone who distributes the photos is running afoul of child pornography laws. And while we're glad that they seem to have the right attitude, the rest of it is utterly chilling, the worst distillation of fucked-up notions of consent and victim-blaming.
Callous Comments From Teens Who Attended B.C. Rave [CTV]
Photos Of Gang Rape Go Viral On Facebook [The Globe And Mail]
shengokai 09/20/10
This is from a sister article on The Globe. Given the number of posts on this article about the seeming lack of understanding demonstrated by the teenagers of this high school, I felt it only proper to show that there are some young men who are willing to state the obvious, perhaps in the face of enormous peer pressure, given the tone of the other students.
The excerpt is as follows:
"But Brandon King, who attended the party, said he was appalled by what took place.
"Guys who take advantage of girls that are drunk, never mind they may have the date rape drug in them, that’s just disgusting. It makes me sick thinking about it," the Grade 11 student said.
He said he hadn’t seen the photos and didn’t want to. "I know people who do know her. It’s just respect. I’m not going to go and look at them." "
This just goes to show that the doucebaggery (I can say that, right?) of his peers is not universal to all the high schoolers and that someone, somewhere, must have gotten something right with this young man who, as an attendee of the party, apparently is not giving into the same kind of desire to minimize the damage for the sake of his peers.
Good on you, kiddo.
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lucysnowe 09/18/10
Those boys look incredibly shifty and smug during the interview. They're suggesting that the entire police investigation is unnecessary, and clearly implying that the girl consented in one way or another. Yet they're too chickenshit to actually come straight out and say the words.
That kind of pathetic cowardice makes me sick.
memphreblues 09/18/10
Damn, if we women would just stop "saying stuff", maybe we wouldn't keep getting ourselves raped! When will we ever learn?
zen.impulse 09/18/10
This is one of the few events that has ever made me ashamed to be a citizen of British Columbia.
But I know the people responsible will be brought to justice, in no small part thanks to the fact that most of these kids probably RSVP'd on the Facebook event, giving the police at worst a partial list of everyone who was there.
The news coverage on the other hand is inappropriate and quite frankly, shows poor judgement on the part of our local journalists.
The silver lining in this is the way the cops have handled the matter, an extremely empathetic and passionate response. I'm glad there are truly good people trying to keep us safe, despite the ones who have been caught using excessive force, drinking on the job, being negligent and even theft during the Olympics.
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clevernamehere 09/18/10
The boys doubt the story because they don't want to think that guys they know raped someone or watched someone be raped.
It is depressing.
LilyBriscoe 09/18/10
"It is very clear from the evidence, her physical injuries and her recollection of it that she was not a willing participant," RCMP Insp. Derren Lench told reporters. "She is 16 years old and has gone through something none of us can imagine."
vs:
"I hear two sides of the story, so I’m not sure," said one Grade 11 male student. "She was probably on Ecstasy."
It's so hard not to completely lose faith in the human race when confronted with people who think like these students. And there are a lot of people who think like this. I'll just go curl up in a ball now.
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likeskeletons 09/17/10
this reminds me of the (live) video that one hipster guy made of himself having sex with his sleeping girlfriend. in his mind, it wasn't even rape 'cos it was his girlfriend.
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BrazenHussy 09/17/10
Okay, I can't even think too much about this story, because it makes it literally sick with rage and sadness. But I have a few thoughts.
One, does anyone else think that if this was not characterized as a "violent" attack (as if it could be any other kind) and if the victim had not sustained injuries, the police and the media would not be so quick to call it rape? I'm glad that they are, but I have this sick feeling that her physical injuries speak louder than her word or the photos.
And, what, police are calling this a violent rape, with resulting injuries, and people still think she's making it up? Jesus.
I'm sickened by the fact that this girl was gang raped. But the fact that the evidence is being passed around is just the most vile thing I can imagine. It almost seems worse, in some way. And, I'm glad that the police will pursue those who post the photos on the basis of child porn distribution, but I wish that this would be a crime even if the victim was an adult. Can we not have some general sort of "You cannot be such a fucking sick piece of shit, you psychopath" law?! I mean, really. This kind of thing cannot be allowed to happen in a civilized society.
