http://www.iheu.org/iheu-condemns-sudan-iran-using-rape-political-weapon

You are correct. The above post is indicative of the absolute worst of humanity and doesn't even have the excuse of youth. Total vileness is being displayed.

Sadly, humans can be very vile and horrid at times.

It is a global problem in every community all over the world.

No one has the monopoly on it.

Absolutely, crime is not exclusive to one area, region or Country, involves the world.

What actually happened was a horrible thing, and I am not trying to play down how horrible this is; but I'm not sure this portrayal is accurate.

I heard about a 'gang rape' in Richmond, CA, and was shocked; then I looked into it, and it turns out that this is being sensationalized and distorted.

From what I've seen, a teen got drunk with her friends and passed out. Up to that point, she was not forced or tricked into anything.

So there she is, sleeping, and some messed up dude has sex with her while she's sleeping. Some other guys think this is cool, and tell their friends. The people who were on the scene were partly incapacitated themselves, due to drugs/alcohol, and partly frightened and confused. Finally, a sober (or relatively sober) passer-by heard what was happening, and immediately called the cops.

This is a terrible, totally messed up situation - but not quite the same thing as this girl getting tricked or seized by a predatory gang who physically threaten/intimidate/coerce her.

I think the distinction is important, because it changes how we look at cause and effect and how we prevent this from happening in the future.

Consider that we have a 15 year old passed out under those circumstances. That much, at least, is the fault of the girls parents, her friends, and the girl herself.

Now why do we have young males who think its 'okay' to have sex with a passed out girl??

So I'm looking into it again, and I'm reading some conflicting stories, including one that says that the cops have said that the onlookers laughed and took pictures. A step up from unverified sources; so the other story I read about them just being incapacitated by drugs/alcohol and frightened/confused may be wrong.

Sixth arrest in Richmond gang-rape; cops say man played 'significant role' in attack

By Malaika Fraley and Karl Fischer
Contra Costa Times


Second suspect arrested in gang rape at Richmond High homecoming
RICHMOND — Police on Thursday night arrested a sixth suspect in the gang rape of a Richmond High School girl.
Jose Carlos Montano, 18, described as having played "a significant role in the rape of the victim," was arrested about 5 p.m. outside his San Pablo home, police said.
Earlier Thursday, three boys accused in the rape stood before a Contra Costa County Superior Court judge to hear charges that could land them behind bars for life.
The court arraigned all three — Ari Abdallah Morales, 16, and Cody Ray Smith, 15, both of San Pablo, and Pinole resident Marcelles James Peter, 17 — as adults in connection with Saturday's assault outside the homecoming dance that left the 15-year-old girl hospitalized through Wednesday night.
All were wearing bulletproof vests.
Prosecutors will consider charging a fifth suspect, 21-year-old Salvador Rodriguez, arrested Tuesday night.
Another defendant, 19-year-old Manuel Ortega, of Richmond, was arraigned separately Thursday on charges of robbery, assault causing great bodily injury, rape in concert and an enhancement that makes him eligible for life in prison.
The minors, each charged with rape with a foreign object in concert, also could be eligible for life sentences if convicted; Morales, who sported a black eye in court, also is charged with robbery. Judge Peter Berger held all without bail.
Only Smith entered a plea at the hearing: not guilty. All
four are scheduled to return to court next week.

These postings are not to prove any kind of point, I'm just throwing in more information, randomly. Apparently there is a law which would have landed all the bystanders in jail if the girl was 14, but she is 15.

--------------------------------------------------

Dara Cashman, head of the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office sex crimes unit, said all is not lost and told the Contra Costa Times, a Bay area newspaper, that those who witnessed the alleged rape and did not report it could face aiding and abetting charges, if it can be proven that their actions facilitated or goaded the perpetrator.

It is not clear if those charges are being considered in this case.

It was not until a former student, who heard two males bragging about the attack, that police received a tip on the case. Officers found the victim semiconscious and naked from the waist down near a picnic table on the Richmond High School campus.

Margarita Vargas, who was watching television Saturday night with others at her home two blocks from the school campus, told a newspaper that she reported the assault as soon as she heard about it. The newspaper did not say whether Vargas was a student at the school.

"They think it's cool," Vargas said of those gathered at the alleged rape. "They weren't raised to respect girls."

Police Lieutenant Mark Gagan said that a "mob mentality" had taken over the night of the dance and that it only became worse as students spread the news, over time, that "rape was going on."

"More people came to see, and some actually participated."

When individuals do not offer help in an emergency situation when other people are present, law enforcement term the non-action the "bystander effect" or "Genovese syndrome."

Kitty Genovese was a 24-year-old New Yorker, who, after finishing the late shift at a Queens bar in 1964, was randomly attacked while walking home.

A subsequent report in The New York Times laid out the story of 38 witnesses, many portrayed as watching the homicide from front row seats in their high-rise apartments as Genovese cried in vain for her life.

"For more than half an hour thirty-eight respectable, law-abiding citizens in Queens watched a killer stalk and stab a woman in three separate attacks in Kew Gardens," The Times article began. ".... Not one person telephoned the police during the assault; one witness called after the woman was dead."

A recent investigation by ABC News of the old case suggests that very few of the thirty-eight actually witnessed the crime. And a group of neighbors actually helped to finally catch the assailant.

There's no word yet if heroes will emerge from this case. Details of the witnesses in the Richmond California gang rape case are still unclear.

"I still cannot get my head around the fact that numerous people either watched, walked away or participated in her assault," police Lt. Gagan said.

"This just gets worse and worse the more you dig into it."

Police hope a $20,000 reward will bring more people forward with information.

The "friend" who walked with her to the place where all this took place has been picked up and questioned by police for his part in it...


Even if she was drunk, even if she is a little slut... it matters not!
They beat and gang raped her. Even a slut or a whore get to pick who puts their weenie inside of them....and she was beaten, slapped, punched...
being a drunken slut does not make this any less acceptable.

The point of the post was that some watched, laughed, maybe cheered, took pictures...would you have helped her, or thought she deserved this because she is a drunk little slut....

Who is talking about a 'slut'?

Weenie???

I can't help it I always laugh at that word..lol

Seriously though it doesn't matter whether she was passed out drunk and got taken advantage of or if she was conscious.

The whole situation was wrong. The rape, the observation of the rape. It was two hours, TWO HOURS!

Literally correct, while connotatively potentially misleading. His 'part' may be only that: he met her and invited her to socialize. Thats it. Of course he was questioned, being questioned doesn't make you guilty of anything. What do we actually know about what he was doing while this was happening? That was not a rhetorical question. If you have more information, please share it. It is not a crime to meet a female friend and invite her to share a drink with other acquaintance. It is irresponsible in this age group, but this is an irresponsibility that applies to MANY teenagers.

The whole situation WAS wrong. Definitely. And having sex with a passed out girl is wrong.

Also, mis-representing the story to get better page hits on your blog is ALSO WRONG.

This is a sympton of a collection of social problems - being clear about what actually happened is the best first step to addressing those problems.

Consider that we have a 15 year old passed out under those circumstances. That much, at least, is the fault of the girls parents, her friends, and the girl herself.

Now why do we have young males who think its 'okay' to have sex with a passed out girl??

(the above is is your post)
Putting blame on a young girl for this happening to her...
maybe has something to do with the mentality of the males, and how is it her parents fault? They sent her to a school dance.. as a parent, I'm sure I don't have my eyes on my children at every given moment...

I have read similar stories like these.People getting hit by a car and nobody helps them because they are afraid of a lawsuit.You can think the ACLU who seems to get behind the cases of the criminals and sue or imprison the good samaritan or vigilante.And yes I could imagine if someone stepped in and beat up or shot those involved the ACLU would be suing on behalf of the criminals.I recently read a story about a girl who got in a accident in her car and it was on fire and someone pulled her out but injured her arm pulling her out.Sure enough she was suing this guy for half a million dollars even though he saved her life.

As far as these boys were concerned.I can only imagine it was a total failure on several fronts including...lack of morals and respect towards life,lax or rarely enforced police laws(coming from California this is no surprise),lack of disciple and leadership from the local schools and family members,and last but not least the current trend that nobody should be judged,looked down on,or reprimanded,or talked bad about because you may offend them or make them feel bad even when they are committing a crime.


On a personal note there is a reason I believe every American should have to right to bear arms.Because criminals prefer unarmed people and I am sure after what this woman went through she will be packing heat from now on.I can also say yes I would have done something about it and it probably wouldn't have been too pretty.I would rather have a gun and not need it then to need a gun and not have it.

If there was a gang in Richmond which snuck up on a girl, grabbed her, brutalized, and raped her...

... then to me, the solution would having something to do with addressing gang culture, stepping up police enforcement on gang related crimes, and the like. Teenage drinking would have nothing to do with the problem or the solution.

As for what actually happened - there was no actual 'gang' (from the information I have). There was a collection of guys who have seriously messed up morals. Why??? This is a different problem, with a different solution. Also, I think its clear that teenage drinking was part of the problem. Not that this makes the guilty rapist any less guilty, but it expands and clarifies the focus of a rational response.

Absolutely. I absolutely stand by my words, though I don't think you are reading them. Nothing I said had anything to do with 'sluttiness' in any way, and for you to use this word in response to mine is seriously messed up.

If that girl passed out and got sick, because she was sleeping in the cold in a dirty place, I would have said her sickness was primarily her fault; and partly her parents and her friend. That much is indeed her fault. Please read my words.

I have no idea what this post means. I suspect you may continue to mis-understand my words, and rather than try to understand, you have become insulting. Saying 'bite me' is not a constructive way to have a conversation.

Massage..I did not start this thread to debate...you know I don't do that.
My interest was how many would step up and risk an azz whooping to help her..I know I would have.

Gang rape is a term for being raped by a gang of people..does not have to mean they were part of a "gang".

I apologize for the "bite me" remark...I just don't want to argue the details...again, just wondering how many actually would risk themselves if this was not their own child.

Sorry... Just not into the details, they matter not..my heart aches for ALL those involved.

Oh, I think I get it know.

LadyLid, I wonder if you thought this comment:



was related to you starting this thread. It was absolutely not - you started this thread based on the information that was available to you. I think this is a very important thread - this is a hugely important issue.


My statement above was intended as a criticism of many bloggers. We are in a transitional state, with more and more people getting their news online, and the standard of accuracy in the 'news' is suffering.