The University of Missouri should be very ashamed of this:

[Are_grits_groceries]

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11385234

And they aren't the only ones.
Campus cops should NEVER handle sexual assault cases. Even in big cities with large PDs, there are usually trained personnel to gather evidence and to talk to both the accused and the accusers. Survivors don't need to be traumatized again if at all possible, and the evidence has to be gathered carefully.

Google Lawrence Phillips and The University of Nebraska for an older example. Vanderbilt, The University of Texas and more have recently had cases with football players.

I always keep my fingers crossed that this never happens at my alma mater. As much as I don't believe it would happen, I am not naive enough to believe that it can't. I'd give them more hell than they could handle if it did happen. I won't close ranks around anybody for problems like this.

[Heidi]

1. KICK! This video is a must see!

[exboyfil]

2. They admit to not opening up a Title IX

A Sandusky like penalty appears appropriate (forfeiture of games Washington played in along with loss of current scholarships and perhaps a bowl ban). Then they will take it seriously.

[BlueJazz]

3. I just do not understand how the people that run Universities can facilitate the crimes..

...of these monsters. I say we starting charging them all as accessories.
I mean it. They don't try to help these Women and try to whitewash these horrible actions ??
Off to jail they go....

[exboyfil]

5. Part of the problem is that

universities are ill equipped to handle judicial processes. If the victim elects not to press charges then the university itself has to engage in the discovery process along with calling witnesses, ability to cross exam witnesses, etc. The law is very clear thought that a Title IX should have been open, and they should face both federal and NCAA penalties for not opening that investigation.

My proposal is, that for serious accusations (those which will lead to long suspensions or expulsions) that an outside agency made up of retired judges and LEO investigators be brought in to conduct the process. Currently the default position is to let the appropriate legal system do this process, and hand out punishment based upon those results.

An interesting example is the current OU linebacker Frank Shannon who was suspended for a year but is currently appealing that suspension in the court system. His accuser has dropped her charges against him.

I wrestle with what to do in those cases in which someone refuses to press charges. You need to always ensure that a fair process occurs.

[Are_grits_groceries]

6. A problem is why the accuser refuses to press charges.

It is well-documented that in many cases if it's a high profile athlete, the accuser faces a torrent of abuse in many forms.

In the above film, one victim was told her scholarship would be pulled if she pressed charges although the university denies it.

The investigators have to have training in handling these cases because they are tricky.

[exboyfil]

8. Yes and another example

was the woman at Notre Dame who committed suicide. If any examples of "witness" tampering occurs it should be grounds for expulsion along with prosecution.

This Huffington Post article talks about the Notre Dame incident in which the Notre Dame lead detective only told a texter making threats to "knock it off". That texter would have been key (may still be key) to any prosecution. They are guilty of witness tampering that the investigator should have followed up on.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/lizzy-seeberg-suicide/

"After Lizzy sent Dosmann a screen shot of the last text, he did call the kid, told him to knock it off and interviewed him over the phone."

[Eleanors38]

4. "Rape artist." The old, obscure LEO term for this.

One who repeatedly raped, knew the system, knew what to say, knew when to shut up. From what I have read, most campus rapes are committed by serial rapists (the new term, I suppose). Like break & enter criminals, they always come back -- only with more contempt for the victims and the authorities who are supposed to protect them. Escalation follows.

[exboyfil]

7. What astounds me is that

he can confess to this crime and get four months for "shock incarceration". The woman had injuries and immediately reported the assault. What else to they need - a videotape? You have to blame the judicial system for that one.


From a USAToday puff piece that should line a bird cage.

Washington, who was 21 at the time, was sentenced to five years in prison. He would serve only 120 days as part of a "shock incarceration" program specially designed for first-time offenders.



http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2013/01/17/derrick-washington-tuskegee-missouri/1842843/

[Eleanors38]

9. The accused knows the system. That's key...

What is disturbing is perpetrators develop contempt for both the victim and the system, and that will further entice the perpetrator to do more of the crime. There is great power behind the system which allows the continuation of this crime. It WILL not change unless dramatically and systematically challenged at all levels.

"Rape awareness courses" won't cut it. The perpetrator is quite aware.

[exboyfil]

10. I went through my daughter's awareness course

with my daughter. I just took her to a 30,000+ university yesterday for the start of her Freshman career. The thing I emphasized is to immediately involve the city police if anything happens and to not trust the university process. Still an imperfect solution, but I am also very open and frank with her about watch outs (one being alone with lab partners which is a very difficult situation given she is in mechanical engineering). I also told her to contact me immediately no matter what happens. I will move heaven and earth to protect my daughter.

The only thing the university will notice is if you mess with their revenue stream. The toothless response to the Title IX violation at Notre Dame and the other examples has to stop.

[Blue_Tires]

11. Sadly, these incidents happen a LOT more often than you'd think

and it isn't just at the big-time football/basketball factories, either...Most of the time this stuff gets kept out of the news altogether...