this story is ginning up fury and outrage on the right. Never mind that it's false

[cali]

Never mind that it demonizes Syrians. Never mind that someone or someones entirely innocent will be attacked and likely killed. And yeah, I hold tRump partially responsible for this sick hysteria.

Authorities are denying reports that Syrians gang-raped a child at knife-point in a Twin Falls apartment complex earlier this month, saying the false claims are being spread to incite anti-refugee sentiments.

“There were no Syrians involved, there was no knife involved, there was no gang-rape,” Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs said Monday morning.

His comments largely refute several differing accounts about the incident circulating on anti-refugee resettlement and conspiracy websites and anti-Muslim blogs. Most of those accounts claim a group of Syrian refugees sexually assaulted a mentally disabled girl at knife-point June 2 in the laundry facilities of Fawnbrook Apartments, a low-income housing complex in Twin Falls, and that the attack was celebrated by the perpetrators’ families as city officials orchestrated a cover-up.

Investigators and the prosecutor were quick to dismiss nearly all those claims Monday. Loebs said he didn’t want to “fan the flames of anti-Syrian refugee people” but suspects the false reports are the work of a local group opposed to refugee resettlement who hoped to stir up trouble by claiming the incident involved Syrian refugees who committed a violent sexual assault.


<snip>

read:http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/state/idaho/article84829787.html

[Ms. Yertle]

1. I read this story this a.m.

Certain details, such as the countries of origin, and whether or not there was a knife involved, are in dispute. The core facts, however, are not. A cognitively challenged 5-year old was sexually assaulted by three minor boys.

There was at least one witness, and it seems there may be a video tape.

[razorman]

18. I try to wait 24 - 48 hours after a big incident occurs in the news

before forming a solid opinion. The first reports are ALWAYS wrong. It takes a little while for the facts to come in. I will also want to know what officials consider "minors", for instance. Regardless, if a little girl was sexually assaulted (by whomever), someone needs to go to jail, at least.

[Ms. Yertle]

23. The boys were 7, 10, & 14

Only one touched her, and it wasn't the 14-year old. If that's the case, none of them will probably go to jail. All of them need help, but who knows whether any of them will actually get it.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

2. "Sex cases between minors aren't uncommon"

"Loebs said sex cases between minors aren’t uncommon and implied that this case is being exploited by the local anti-refugee movement to make a political point."



Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/state/idaho/article84829787.html#storylink=cpy

Three boys were involved, and one was thirteen years old. Two are now in custody. How would you feel as a parent if someone made such a dismissive statement if your five year old daughter was involved? I would be freaking furious!

One thing we do know is that cases against minors are sealed (and rightly so) and "hush hush", but this left the parents in the community
fearful that the media and authorities were attempting to sweep this under the rug as was done re New Years Eve assaults in Germany.

"According to those officials, three boys were involved, ages 7, 10 and 14, and the alleged victim was a 5-year-old girl. The boys are from Sudan and Iraq; none are Syrian. They are being held at a juvenile detention facility. Officials suspect the boys have been in the Uniteds States fewer than two years, but their refugee status wasn’t immediately clear to the police chief."

[Ms. Yertle]

6. Substitute "college students"

for "minors," and "anti-man" for "anti-refugee" and see how that would go over.

The statement is outrageous.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

7. Yes, it is!

nt

[DesMoinesDem]

3. The story is not false. 3 boys sexually assaulted a 5 year old.

Details of the story may be wrong, like if a knife was used and the country they were from, but those are minor compared to what actually happened. Your assertion that this will cause someone to murder someone else is just stupid. And then to blame trump for the 'hysteria' that you assert will happen, but say nothing of the sexual assault that did happen is pathetic. A 5 year old was sexually assaulted.

[Bradical79]

17. It's false in that there was no gangrape, syrians, knife, or family celebrations

You seem to be greatly underplaying the fact that very important details of the crime were being falsified to encourage hatred of a group of people. And yes, this is the kind of thing that gets more people hurt, and encourages more violence.

The perpetrators are one teen, and two other young children, so the details aren't available of what exactly the crime was or what the video showed.

[frankieallen]

4. it's not false, some details are incorrect, that's all.

[Initech]

5. Republicans are weirdly obsessed with sex crimes.

Despite that they're most likely to commit them.

[Ms. Yertle]

8. Just curious:

Are you trivializing the sexual assault of a 5-year old?

[Initech]

9. Absolutely not!

[Ms. Yertle]

13. "Republicans are weirdly obsessed with sex crimes"

Sure sounds like it.

I think this is something we should all be "obsessed" with.

[philosslayer]

10. Clearly something happened to this young lady

And the authorities will take proper measures. However this is rapidly turning into an anti immigrant, anti Syrian story even though we have no idea who did this-- except that they WERENT Syrian.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

11. They're from Sudan and Iraq

nt

[philosslayer]

14. Immaterial

They're a group of young boys and need to be appropriately punished

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

15. It's material only because

the people in the area believe that the authorities were especially tight-lipped because these kids were refugees. New Year's Eve in Germany comes to mind. And a lot more.

[philosslayer]

16. Key point... the "people in the area believe"

I think that as soon as the rumor mill spilled the supposed native origin of the young boys, the expectations of what information authorities would release grew well beyond what is normally released.

[cali]

12. you and I are actually in agreement here, I suspect

[maxsolomon]

19. this case aside

why are we sending Sudanese and Iraqi refugees to Twin Falls, Idaho?

sounds like a recipe for disaster.

[Marengo]

20. Why is that?

[maxsolomon]

21. Let's just say it is not a thriving, multicultural metropolis.

I'm sure you'll tell me I'm an urban elitist now.

[Marengo]

22. I live not too far and travel through the area on occasion. I don't think it too bad...

And the folks I've had contact with are friendly enough. Of course, I'm viewing through an Anglo cultural lens.