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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTwo More Perps Sentenced in The Steubenville Rape Case
http://bluntandcranky.wordpress.com/2013/05/03/two-more-sentenced-in-the-steubenville-rape-case/The two straw-for-brains teenaged girls who threatened the victim of the Steubenville gang-rape are now convicted criminals. A small step in the right direction, and a lesson to others.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,297 posts)I hope the lesson is widely seen and learned.
fitman
(482 posts)his face with a charge of not reporting a crime.
riqster
(13,986 posts)The coach, the local PA, the Sheriff, parents, and all the kids who watched and did nothing.
dballance
(5,756 posts)I recall he had to drop out of college and go into hiding because of death threats, etc. All due to his very inappropriate video on YouTube. So there is some justice in the world, even if he doesn't get charged with anything.
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)I agree. He was definitely complicit.
gordianot
(15,226 posts)riqster
(13,986 posts)...in which they bemoan the damage done to these two bullying little Heathers.
Bernardo de La Paz
(48,788 posts)"CNN has a commitment to cover all sides of a story just in case one happens to be accurate!" -- President Barack Obama
Whisp
(24,096 posts)AnotherMcIntosh
(11,064 posts)And when they become adults, they can then have their records expunged and/or sealed.
Sorry if I'm not buying it.
marions ghost
(19,841 posts)doing nothing, don't ya think?
This is a historic paradigm shift. To actually address the experience of the victim and punish those who violated and threatened. It's a step in the right direction.
AnotherMcIntosh
(11,064 posts)They got away with it.
They are probably laughing about it. Their friends are probably laughing about it as well. They know that they got away with it.
A "big improvement"? Yea, if you like pretend punishment.
marions ghost
(19,841 posts)It sends a message. This is a blot on them. If they're not psychopaths, they will feel ashamed.
EOTE
(13,409 posts)And now they've learned the lesson that if their psychopathic behavior continues into adulthood, they may have to go through that whole awful ordeal of being put on probation a few months. This is how George W. Bushes are created.
marions ghost
(19,841 posts)I agree.
Whether these girls are is an open question. People can be aggressive and nasty without being psychopaths. Some can be straightened out early, some can't. Yes if they're psychopaths they will continue their cruel and exploitative behavior. But without evaluating them personally we can't know that.
I know what you're saying--to let such people "get by" is wrong. But if they are true psychopaths they are awfully clever at getting by and will work around any such obstacles. You're right, our society puts up with them far too much. To our detriment. We do need to call out these behaviors as socially unacceptable.
The first step is holding these kinds of bad kids accountable, which they never have been before.
EOTE
(13,409 posts)Threatening a rape victim for speaking out is outrageously sick. Threatening a rape victim with DEATH is psychopathic. I almost think that giving those two awful excuses for human beings a joke of a punishment is worse than giving them nothing at all. Now they think that if they do similar things in the future AND they get caught doing it, THIS is what awaits them. That's sick. I just don't think these girls will learn anything from this particular lesson. Those girls should be locked away for a good while.
riqster
(13,986 posts)I suppose you think that it is possible to magically overcome a paradigm that took over a century to create in a single instant?
It would be just for all those who committed these crimes and those associated with them to be punished more severely. But unless you have a realistic plan for implementing such a complete change in law, culture, institutions and attitudes, I suggest you stop crapping on the locals who are finally doing something, however inadequate it may seem to us, about the problem.
Any punishment is better than no punishment. And for many a decade, no punishment is what happened there.
riqster
(13,986 posts)Read about the Steubenville rape culture: it goes back for many years. Traci Lords was a second-generation rape survivor in that town (her mother before her was also raped there). http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ex-porn-star-lords-raped-steubenville-article-1.1289435
Any punishment is an improvement over the status quo.
marions ghost
(19,841 posts)and the article doesn't surprise me. The status quo was, "got raped? fugeddaboutit."
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Just as a benchmark, what do you propose should be the mandatory minimum jail time and/or other terms imposed on a teenager who makes a verbal threat against another? And are you prepared for the social resources which will be required to uniformly impose that sentence and/or other terms?
justhanginon
(3,287 posts)How about in this case, maybe a sentence including community service in a rape crisis center. How about a walk through in the local juvenile center and seeing what they just missed out on or perhaps even spending a few days there. Just to maybe get their attention. They were old enough to know better and need to know real consequences for these type of actions.
gollygee
(22,336 posts)That sounds like a reasonable penalty to me for that crime. They absolutely needed to be charged wtih a crime, and I'm glad they did, but they don't need to go to prison for threatening someone, especially as juveniles. There will be conditions to their probation, including maybe mental health counseling or something.
AnotherMcIntosh
(11,064 posts)players, and then had their charges dropped for intimidation of a witness and aggravated menacing in exchange for pleading guilty to a misdemeanor, Ohio law provides that they could have received a JAIL (not prison) sentence for up to six months.
http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2929.24
You want to know what I think should be the sentence? Really? Since you ask, I should think that the probation should be accompanied by a minimum of two days in jail to make the probation credible. These are not bankers or war criminals who are entitled to governmental protection and should not spend even a day in jail.
gollygee
(22,336 posts)How old are they? I can see two days somewhere (either jail or juvie) to let it sink in what path they're on. You and I aren't as far apart as I thought when I read your earlier post.
AnotherMcIntosh
(11,064 posts)LittleBlue
(10,362 posts)They're minors and once the police determined that they didn't actually intend her bodily harm, the judge gave the girls a light sentence. We already have enough of a prison society as it is. Probation will keep them on good behavior, at least for six months.
If they had actually made realistic plans to do her harm, then I would say a prison/juve sentence is warranted.
AnotherMcIntosh
(11,064 posts)MineralMan
(146,192 posts)If Yes, provide details. ________________________________________________________________________
I guess these girls will have to answer "Yes." Looks like long careers at minimum wage jobs for those two, assuming they can find a job at all. 6 months probation may not seem like much, but this will follow those two air-heads around for the rest of their lives.
riqster
(13,986 posts)Many such offenses can be sealed, especially if they were juvenile offenses. Depends on the charge and disposition.
davidn3600
(6,342 posts)This wasn't a felony.
Whisp
(24,096 posts)get the adults who were in positions of authority! this is small potatoes! I want to see some freaking adult heads roll.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)Isn't there some question of her trying to dissuade the victim from pressing charges?
freshwest
(53,661 posts)riqster
(13,986 posts)And investigators are at work.