[Editor’s Note: This entry was originally posted in the blog and is not quite column worthy but the story is important enough that I am reposting it here. I know some of you don’t read the blog and I want to get your reactions.]
The Smoking Gun has published the search warrant obtained by the North Carolina police to search the premises of house where the alleged rape took place.
Included in the warrant are the names of the three alleged rapists.
The victim stated she tried to leave and the three males (Adam, Bret, and Matt) forcefully held her legs and arms and sexually assaulted her anally, vaginally and orally. The victim states she was hit, kicked and stranged during the assault and she attempted to defend herself, but was overpowered. The victim reported she was sexually assaulted for an approximate 30 minute time period by the three males.
As a way to thwart us hardworking bloggers, Duke University has removed the lacrosse team roster from their site. However, this is the internet and there’s more than one way to skin a cat. By looking over the 2006 stats, we were able to weed out the names of all the Duke players. See Duke, information wants to be free.
Ok, I better put a disclaimer here. We’re not saying these are the guys who did it. Innocent until proven guilty. But, the victim stated that her three attackers were team members. So, my extensive investigative expertise (learned from Encyclopedia Brown) yields only 1 Bret, 3 Matts, and 0 Adams.
Another aspect of this case is the media coverage of it. This is a story that didn’t make ESPN (i.e. national) coverage until the sordid details started filtering out. Yet, Dhani Jones getting arrested for dancing in Miami Beach makes Sportscenter immediately. I don’t often play the race card but this has me scratching my head more than Adam Morrison.
One piece of reporting that I question is that 15 members of the team had prior charges including underage alcohol possession, having open containers of alcohol, loud noise and public urination. I understand this is relevant, but is it really relevant? It’s practically a rite of passage in college to drink beer, make noise and urinate in public. Yes, technically, they had prior charges but the AP headline was “15 Duke lacrosse players had prior charges”, which leads you to believe they have something criminal in their backgrounds. Sorry, but being a drunk asshole isn’t really that big of a crime. (Yes, I know, headlines are sensationalistic and I’m being naive. I just thought I’d point this out.)
This scandal will catapult Duke lacrosse into the national conciousness negatively for a long time. As much as I dislike the overuse of the term “perfect storm” (thanks to that terrible book and movie), this guy has got it right when detailing why this story is front page news: rape and gender, race, class, timing, and the team’s foolhardy adherence to a code of silence.
Barry Bonds on the juice gets the attention of sports junkies and makes the rounds on the sports blogs. Duke lacrosse players raping a black woman gets on everyone’s radar.
Reactions from the blogosphere:
[Justice 4 Two Sisters]: This blog is keeping track of a ton of the blog entries on this scandal.
[My All time top 5]: “If the lacrosse scandal turns out to be true… and as much as I hope it’s not, it’s hard to shake what appears to be serious evidence to the contrary or at the very least, a major violation of “the stupid rule”… not only does it smear every good student at the University and obliterate any semblance of relations with Durham, but most importantly, it’s a lasting, stinging reinforcement of the Duke Prick Stereotype: that if you’re a rich white kid, you can do no wrong. Get in, get out, get your 6-figure i-banking job, and don’t give a shit about anybody else.”
[Under the Dryer]: “To Devon Sherwood, the lone African-American player on the Duke University Men’s Lacrosse Team. (this is listed on Duke University Athletics public website www.goduke.com) I know you are a freshman, you are probably on scholarship, you are the only brother on this team. I’d be scared to death in some ways if I were you. Despite all this, I am appealing to you young soldier to come forward and tell what you know and or saw and see that these your sisters receive the justice they deserve. This could have been your mother, your sister, your cousin, your girlfriend,your classmate. They are college students just like you, one is a mother, trying to support her children and make a better life. What are you going to do? The activist Angela Davis said “If they come for me in the morning, they will come for you in the afternoon.” Don’t think you can’t or won’t be racially terrorized my brother. You OWE all the hundreds of thousands of our forbearer whose backs YOU stand on, who suffered, worked, protested,marched, sat-in, bled, and died so that you could go to an institution who historically did not always admit African-Americans to be educated or play organized sports. YOU OWE THEM DEVON. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? HOW LONG WILL YOU SIT AND LET THESE SISTERS SUFFER?”
34 replies on “Duke Lacrosse Rape Scandal”
I think ESPN… Is uncomfortable with this story. Yeah, it’s easy to make a crack about Dhani Jones getting pinched for dancing, but this is serious stuff. It’s becoming very obvious (although I am with you – innocent until proven guilty) that this alleged crime has racial implications, if what was allegedly said during the assault was true. I’ll reserve my judgement until the facts are brought out and a decision is made in court (if it gets there). But what we can’t let it do is go away, which I have a feeling ESPN will let happen, as soon as T.O says something stupid or Kobe starts fighting with Phil again.
innocent until proven guilty Editorially, I am obliged to say innocent until proven guilty… well, because they are. But at the very least, these guys are guilty of being spoiled rich racists. A woman who was just driving by (completey unrelated to the rape incident) called 911 and police released the tape.
“He just hollered out n—– to me, and I’m just so angry I didn’t know who to call,” she said to the 911 operator.”
Who the hell does that?
Where did you get these names — I read the warrant and the drunk 27 year old stipper didn’tknow the names of the guys, so how did you determine the names?
What’s this got to do with that? — The woman claiming this gave a different house number, this may not even be connected to the lacrosse team.
You’re only fooling yourself — Regarding: “Ok, I better put a disclaimer here. We’re not saying these are the guys who did it. Innocent until proven guilty. But, the victim stated that her three attackers were team members. So, my extensive investigative expertise (learned from Encyclopedia Brown) yields only 1 Bret, 3 Matts, and 0 Adams”
Do you really think this statement makes you seem “unbiased” or “fair”? The woman didn’t know wh her attackers were, she only knew the name of the guy who arranged for her to strip, and even District Attorney Nifong said it could have been others at the party who weren’t members of the team.
What does this have to do with the case? — Regarding: “Another aspect of this case is the media coverage of it. This is a story that didn’t make ESPN (i.e. national) coverage until the sordid details started filtering out. Yet, Dhani Jones getting arrested for dancing in Miami Beach makes Sportscenter immediately. I don’t often play the race card but this has me scratching my head more than Adam Morrison.”
What does this have to do with the case?
You have a problem with premature judgment — Regarding: “One piece of reporting that I question is that 15 members of the team had prior charges including underage alcohol possession, having open containers of alcohol, loud noise and public urination. I understand this is relevant, but is it really relevant? It’s practically a rite of passage in college to drink beer, make noise and urinate in public. Yes, technically, they had prior charges but the AP headline was “15 Duke lacrosse players had prior charges”, which leads you to believe they have something criminal in their backgrounds. Sorry, but being a drunk asshole isn’t really that big of a crime. (Yes, I know, headlines are sensationalistic and I’m being naive. I just thought I’d point this out.)”
Not that anyone is going to correlate these prior charges has anything to do with the case, you attacked the character of these men who deserve a fair trial in a court of law, when are you going to attack the victim? What if she was wrong and it was other party goers that attacked her? It’s not fair that you bring up prior history of men who just happen to be members of the team and not do the same to the stripper. You can’t hide behind princeple or morals because you’ve already started unfair character assasinations, you can’t claim fairness because you’re entire statement is slanted, the only reason you would have to not publicly attack the stripper as you’ve publicly attacked the innocent men is that you’re biased and prematurely judgmental with little regard to evidence or justice.
They’re silent because they didn’t witness anythin — Regarding: “the team’s foolhardy adherence to a code of silence.”
If 3 members of the lacrosse team did rape this drunk stripper an enclosed bathroom, then how would anyone else have information of what happened?
Lay off the black guy! — Regarding: “[Under the Dryer]: “To Devon Sherwood, the lone African-American playeryadda yadda yadda … YOU OWE THEM DEVON. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? HOW LONG WILL YOU SIT AND LET THESE SISTERS SUFFER?””
The poor black boy probably wasn’t even invited to the party and you’re claiming he should talk. What do you want the poor boy to say?
The DNA knws the DNA samples will clear men — [My All time top 5]: …it’s hard to shake what appears to be serious evidence to the contrary…”
DNA samples will clear the boys of any rape, that’s why the DA is refusing to release the evidence. He wanted this case to stay off a close re-election this fall from three very strong candidates, but it’s about to blow up in his face, and the boys will have a case of slander and libel making the city pay millions.
I didn’t make the names up they were in the warrant.
Why would I attack the victim? She was a sex worker? People are on different paths. Does she have a prior conviction for anything? If so, point me to the source. I didn’t attack the victim because as of the writing of this entry, there was nothing reported.
And it seems odd that you decide to quote that passage which was the sole one where I defended the lacrosse boys.
you’re telling me that in a crowded party, you don’t notice a stripper was in the bathroom for 30 minutes? (Again, you started this comment by assuming that the stripper was raped. Ok, let’s start with that assumption, even if not true.)
Here are the facts:
Ok, so you’re saying at a party with a stripper, no one is going to notice that the stripper disappeared for 30 mins? And even if, say, it was consensual sex, then the other witnesses have a obligation to say “yes, she was gone for 30 mins but we saw her leading the three guys to the bathroom” or whatever. SAY SOMETHING. That’s the problem with the code of silence.
Are you kidding me? It has nothing to do with the case at the core, however it has everything to do with the case in the wider social aspect. This whole thing blew up because of the dichotomy between race, class, and sex. The fact that ESPN covers Dhani Jones first is media bias…. until everyone jumped on the story and now the national press is getting in on it. It’s more a condemnation of how crappy ESPN is than anything else.
ever hear of a condom?
Simple as black and white — If the victim (dancer or not) had been blonde and blue eyed and the suspects black you’d be rioting in the streets. It’s funny how much race still plays a part in everything. I think they raped her and I think they’re going to get away with it. That’s justice in America.