By Stephanie Simon
(Reuters) - 'I'm a compulsive laundry room thief,' says one Facebook confession. 'I'm the reason the 'Public Urination is Illegal' signs were put up at Coyote Village,' says another.
'I sold books for the semester to go to South Padre for spring break ... Gotta pay for the booze somehow,' reveals yet another poster.
By turns rueful and raunchy, these anonymous admissions pop up on 'campus confession' pages unofficially linked to scores of high schools and universities.
Like many social media trends, the confession craze captivates teenagers and 20-somethings - but alarms teachers, law enforcement officers and counselors.
'It's another creative venue where kids are able to say hurtful things, and that's frustrating,' said Sameer Hinduja, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center at Florida Atlantic University.
At the same time, the pages can sometimes offer a catharsis of sorts, attracting heartfelt disclosures from students struggling with depression, alcoholism or eating disorders. Classmates often respond with links to counseling sites and offers to talk.
The anonymity of confession pages is at the core of their appeal, and they use a simple workaround to Facebook's general insistence that people use their real identity on the social network.
Students who set up confessional pages must do so under their real names, as per Facebook policy. But they can choose to cloak their identity as page administrators. To keep posts anonymous, they use free online survey tools such as SurveyMonkey or Google Forms. Confessors simply click on a link to open up a blank box where they can type their tell-all.
The page administrator doesn't see identifying information - just the latest confession.
The pages then prompt visitors to show admiration for the juiciest confessions by 'liking' them and posting comments - often smart-aleck remarks that can draw fan bases of their own.
'The more outrageous comments attract more attention ... so there's little incentive to exercise restraint,' Hinduja said.
Alisen Lafaive found that out quickly when she began reading the Facebook confession page for Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York. 'At first, I thought, 'Ooh, Clarkson Confessions! This ought to be juicy!'' said Lafaive, a junior. Then she began scrolling through posts filled with crude invective toward women.
'These things are mean,' she said. 'My feelings are hurt even though none of its directed toward me.' She posted a plea for courtesy but was ignored.
The confessions pages do not violate Facebook rules so long as the content remains within the bounds of civility, said a spokeswoman for the social network. But the pages have drawn complaints from some from principals, college administrators and police.
Dismayed by the content on two high-school confession pages in Kalispell, Montana last month, police asked Facebook to shut them down. Facebook closed one and removed offensive comments from another - but the student instigators simply started a third page, said Jason Parce, a police officer in Kalispell.
Parce threatened to charge participants with defamation and they quickly pulled down their posts. Though some posts were anonymous, many comments came in through Facebook accounts so the writers could easily be identified.
'There was a lot of sexually explicit content directed at specific individuals and a lot of hateful language being used,' said Parce. 'Absolutely, kids are more willing to be crude when they don't have to face anyone. They hide behind the computer.'
High-school pages in Idaho and Arizona have also been shut down after school officials moved to investigate offensive posts.
SAFEGUARDS
Administrators of several confession sites told Reuters that they review each submission and refuse to post any that seem inappropriate.
Facebook also routinely reviews pages on its site and responds to any complaints about content. If its reviewers deem a post objectionable, the social network will remove it or shut down the site entirely, the Facebook spokeswoman said.
None of these safeguards can determine whether those posting and commenting on confessions are bona fide students of a particular school.
At the college level, the concern isn't bullying so much as brand protection. Universities including San Francisco State have asked confession sites to stop using school logos and photographs of iconic buildings for fear that outsiders might mistake the many tales of alcohol-fueled sexual conquests for an official depiction of campus life.
Despite, or perhaps because of, official disapproval, the fad continues to gain steam - and may be helping Facebook regain some of its allure among teens and college students. A recent poll by an online survey tool, Survata, found teens and young adults aged 13 to 25 used micro-blogging platform Tumblr more than Facebook.
Scores of Facebook confession pages have popped up in recent months, at small private colleges and huge state universities. Princeton, Harvard and Yale have pages. So does Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon.
Some campuses have Twitter confession accounts as well but Facebook remains the most popular medium. The University of Wisconsin-Madison's confessions page has racked up more than 21,000 Facebook 'likes.' The University of Hawaii at Manoa has nearly 12,000. College students in India, New Zealand and Great Britain are baring their secrets online, too.
'It just makes me laugh,' said Matt Miller, a biology major at the University of Hawaii who checks out his classmates' confessions several times a day. Among the recent posts: a lament about the difficulty of conversing with beautiful brunettes, an admission about a romantic relationship with a teaching assistant, and a cryptic, 'Majoring in mathematics. Judge me.'
The campus confessionals teem with references to specific dorms, classes, fraternities and traditions, giving them an intimate, gossip-over-coffee feel. Many have also become forums for posting secret crushes: 'To the boy in Art History with the long hair and blue shoes. You're so cute!!'
The pages can also offer a lifeline to struggling students.
'I want to pass on hope to people who feel like they don't have any,' said Stephanie Suchecki, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay who makes a point of responding to the most wrenching posts.
Moments of compassion, however, are often swamped by the lewd and the crude - just how some confession junkies like it.
An administrator of the Arizona State University confessions site recently goaded readers to ramp up their revelations: 'What happened to your crazy stories!?!? Hook ups gone bad?! Party gone crazy?! Come on guys! This is ASU!'
(Reporting by Stephanie Simon in Boston; Editing by Jonathan Weber, Tiffany Wu and Tim Dobbyn)
Monday, March 18, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Judge finds Ohio high school football players guilty of raping girl
By Drew Singer
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) - Two high school football players from Ohio were found guilty on Sunday of raping a 16-year-old girl at a party last summer while she was in a drunken stupor in a case that gained national exposure through social media.
Ohio authorities also promised on Sunday to continue the investigation to determine if other crimes had been committed.
Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, two members of Steubenville's 'Big Red' football team, were found delinquent in the sexual assault of the girl in the early morning of August 12 when witnesses said she was too drunk to move or speak.
Judge Tom Lipps ordered Richmond held in a juvenile detention facility for at least one year and Mays at least two years. The juvenile system could hold them until age 21. Both were required to register as juvenile sex offenders.
The defendants could be heard sobbing after Lipps announced his decision in the non-jury, juvenile court case. Mays also was found delinquent on a second charge - taking and sending a picture of the girl to other people.
Mays and Richmond apologized to the victim before Lipps imposed detention. Both had denied the charges and said any sex that occurred was consensual.
'I had no intention to do anything like that,' said Richmond, who walked up to the girl's mother in the courtroom and apologized to her.
'I forgive you,' she replied.
Afterward, the girl's mother said the defendants displayed a lack of human compassion or 'any moral code.'
'This does not define who my daughter is,' she said in a statement. 'She will persevere, grow and move on. I have pity for you both. I hope you fear the Lord, repent for your actions and pray hard for forgiveness.'
Richmond's attorney, Walter Madison, said Sunday they would appeal the decision.
'This is an invasion of justice at best, a miscarriage of justice at worst,' Madison said, adding that Richmond's family was devastated.
Adam Nemann, who represents Mays, left without commenting.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said the case could not be brought to a 'finality' without a grand jury and he was asking the Jefferson County courts to name one in mid-April to determine if any other people should be charged with crimes.
Crimes that might be considered include failure to report a felony, a misdemeanor, and tampering with evidence, he said, adding that there was no limit to what might be looked at.
'NO STONE UNTURNED'
Investigators interviewed 27 partygoers but 16 others refused to cooperate and numerous witnesses could be called to testify before a grand jury that could meet for a number of days, DeWine told a news conference.
'This community needs assurance that no stone has been left unturned in our search for the truth,' DeWine said.
The investigation has included interviews with home owners, the school principal, superintendent and football coaches from Steubenville high school, 56 interviews in all, DeWine said.
State forensic analysts waded through more than 396,000 text messages, 308,000 photos/pictures and 940 video clips recovered from cell phones as part of the investigation, DeWine said.
DeWine said prosecutors had other evidence they would like to present to the grand jury and the 16 witnesses who would not talk to prosecutors in the investigation.
Bob Fitzsimmons, an attorney representing the girl, said on Sunday his side still was weighing whether to file a civil lawsuit.
The case drew national attention to the town, 40 miles west of Pittsburgh, after a photo and video from the party that appeared to document the assault were posted online.
The computer hacking group Anonymous publicized the picture of two males carrying the girl by her wrists and ankles and organized protests accusing the town known for its 'Big Red' football team of covering up the involvement of more players.
Three teammates of Mays and Richmond were granted immunity and testified against them at the trial. DeWine said Sunday the immunity granted to those players under the specific circumstances would carry over to the grand jury.
A small group of demonstrators waited outside the courthouse for the judge's decision on Sunday.
The trial's testimony was capped by the girl's acknowledgment that she had little memory from that night.
Lipps said the evidence presented was profane and ugly at times and said that alcohol consumption showed a particular danger to 'our teenage youth.'
Prosecutors had argued that the things that made the girl an imperfect witness, her substantial impairment, also made her a perfect victim.
(Writing by James B. Kelleher and David Bailey; Editing by Steve Gorman, Xavier Briand, Bill Trott and Cynthia Osterman)
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) - Two high school football players from Ohio were found guilty on Sunday of raping a 16-year-old girl at a party last summer while she was in a drunken stupor in a case that gained national exposure through social media.
Ohio authorities also promised on Sunday to continue the investigation to determine if other crimes had been committed.
Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, two members of Steubenville's 'Big Red' football team, were found delinquent in the sexual assault of the girl in the early morning of August 12 when witnesses said she was too drunk to move or speak.
Judge Tom Lipps ordered Richmond held in a juvenile detention facility for at least one year and Mays at least two years. The juvenile system could hold them until age 21. Both were required to register as juvenile sex offenders.
The defendants could be heard sobbing after Lipps announced his decision in the non-jury, juvenile court case. Mays also was found delinquent on a second charge - taking and sending a picture of the girl to other people.
Mays and Richmond apologized to the victim before Lipps imposed detention. Both had denied the charges and said any sex that occurred was consensual.
'I had no intention to do anything like that,' said Richmond, who walked up to the girl's mother in the courtroom and apologized to her.
'I forgive you,' she replied.
Afterward, the girl's mother said the defendants displayed a lack of human compassion or 'any moral code.'
'This does not define who my daughter is,' she said in a statement. 'She will persevere, grow and move on. I have pity for you both. I hope you fear the Lord, repent for your actions and pray hard for forgiveness.'
Richmond's attorney, Walter Madison, said Sunday they would appeal the decision.
'This is an invasion of justice at best, a miscarriage of justice at worst,' Madison said, adding that Richmond's family was devastated.
Adam Nemann, who represents Mays, left without commenting.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said the case could not be brought to a 'finality' without a grand jury and he was asking the Jefferson County courts to name one in mid-April to determine if any other people should be charged with crimes.
Crimes that might be considered include failure to report a felony, a misdemeanor, and tampering with evidence, he said, adding that there was no limit to what might be looked at.
'NO STONE UNTURNED'
Investigators interviewed 27 partygoers but 16 others refused to cooperate and numerous witnesses could be called to testify before a grand jury that could meet for a number of days, DeWine told a news conference.
'This community needs assurance that no stone has been left unturned in our search for the truth,' DeWine said.
The investigation has included interviews with home owners, the school principal, superintendent and football coaches from Steubenville high school, 56 interviews in all, DeWine said.
State forensic analysts waded through more than 396,000 text messages, 308,000 photos/pictures and 940 video clips recovered from cell phones as part of the investigation, DeWine said.
DeWine said prosecutors had other evidence they would like to present to the grand jury and the 16 witnesses who would not talk to prosecutors in the investigation.
Bob Fitzsimmons, an attorney representing the girl, said on Sunday his side still was weighing whether to file a civil lawsuit.
The case drew national attention to the town, 40 miles west of Pittsburgh, after a photo and video from the party that appeared to document the assault were posted online.
The computer hacking group Anonymous publicized the picture of two males carrying the girl by her wrists and ankles and organized protests accusing the town known for its 'Big Red' football team of covering up the involvement of more players.
Three teammates of Mays and Richmond were granted immunity and testified against them at the trial. DeWine said Sunday the immunity granted to those players under the specific circumstances would carry over to the grand jury.
A small group of demonstrators waited outside the courthouse for the judge's decision on Sunday.
The trial's testimony was capped by the girl's acknowledgment that she had little memory from that night.
Lipps said the evidence presented was profane and ugly at times and said that alcohol consumption showed a particular danger to 'our teenage youth.'
Prosecutors had argued that the things that made the girl an imperfect witness, her substantial impairment, also made her a perfect victim.
(Writing by James B. Kelleher and David Bailey; Editing by Steve Gorman, Xavier Briand, Bill Trott and Cynthia Osterman)
Judge finds two Ohio teens delinquent in rape of girl
By Drew Singer
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) - Two high school football players from Ohio were found guilty on Sunday of raping a 16-year-old girl at a party last summer while she was in a drunken stupor in a case that gained national exposure through social media.
Ohio authorities also promised on Sunday to continue the investigation to determine if other crimes had been committed.
Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, two members of Steubenville's 'Big Red' football team, were found delinquent in the sexual assault of the girl in the early morning of August 12 when witnesses said she was too drunk to move or speak.
Judge Tom Lipps ordered Richmond held in a juvenile detention facility for at least one year and Mays at least two years. The juvenile system could hold them until age 21. Both were required to register as juvenile sex offenders.
The defendants could be heard sobbing after Lipps announced his decision in the non-jury, juvenile court case. Mays also was found delinquent on a second charge - taking and sending a picture of the girl to other people.
Mays and Richmond apologized to the victim before Lipps imposed detention. Both had denied the charges and said any sex that occurred was consensual.
'I had no intention to do anything like that,' said Richmond, who walked up to the girl's mother in the courtroom and apologized to her.
'I forgive you,' she replied.
Afterward, the girl's mother said the defendants displayed a lack of human compassion or 'any moral code.'
'This does not define who my daughter is,' she said in a statement. 'She will persevere, grow and move on. I have pity for you both. I hope you fear the Lord, repent for your actions and pray hard for forgiveness.'
Richmond's attorney, Walter Madison, said Sunday they would appeal the decision.
'This is an invasion of justice at best, a miscarriage of justice at worst,' Madison said, adding that Richmond's family was devastated.
Adam Nemann, who represents Mays, left without commenting.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said the case could not be brought to a 'finality' without a grand jury and he was asking the Jefferson County courts to name one in mid-April to determine if other crimes had been committed.
Crimes that might be considered include failure to report a felony, a misdemeanor, and tampering with evidence, he said, adding that there was no limit to what they might be looked at.
'NO STONE UNTURNED'
Investigators interviewed 27 partygoers but 16 others refused to cooperate and numerous witnesses could be called to testify before a grand jury that could meet for a number of days, DeWine told a news conference.
'This community needs assurance that no stone has been left unturned in our search for the truth,' DeWine said.
The investigation has included interviews with home owners, the school principal, superintendent and football coaches from Steubenville high school, DeWine said.
Bob Fitzsimmons, an attorney representing the girl, said on Sunday his side still was weighing whether to file a civil lawsuit.
The case drew national attention to the town, 40 miles west of Pittsburgh, after a photo and video from the party that appeared to document the assault were posted online.
The computer hacking group Anonymous publicized the picture of two males carrying the girl by her wrists and ankles and organized protests accusing the town known for its 'Big Red' football team of covering up the involvement of more players.
Three teammates of Mays and Richmond were granted immunity and testified against them at the trial. DeWine said Sunday the immunity granted to those players under the specific circumstances would carry over to the grand jury.
The trial's testimony was capped by the girl's acknowledgment that she had little memory from that night.
Lipps said the evidence presented was profane and ugly at times and said that alcohol consumption showed a particular danger to 'our teenage youth.'
Prosecutors had argued that the things that made the girl an imperfect witness, her substantial impairment, also made her a perfect victim.
Under its policy of keeping the names of accusers in rape cases confidential, Reuters has not identified the girl.
(Writing by James B. Kelleher and David Bailey; Editing by Steve Gorman, Xavier Briand and Bill Trott)
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) - Two high school football players from Ohio were found guilty on Sunday of raping a 16-year-old girl at a party last summer while she was in a drunken stupor in a case that gained national exposure through social media.
Ohio authorities also promised on Sunday to continue the investigation to determine if other crimes had been committed.
Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, two members of Steubenville's 'Big Red' football team, were found delinquent in the sexual assault of the girl in the early morning of August 12 when witnesses said she was too drunk to move or speak.
Judge Tom Lipps ordered Richmond held in a juvenile detention facility for at least one year and Mays at least two years. The juvenile system could hold them until age 21. Both were required to register as juvenile sex offenders.
The defendants could be heard sobbing after Lipps announced his decision in the non-jury, juvenile court case. Mays also was found delinquent on a second charge - taking and sending a picture of the girl to other people.
Mays and Richmond apologized to the victim before Lipps imposed detention. Both had denied the charges and said any sex that occurred was consensual.
'I had no intention to do anything like that,' said Richmond, who walked up to the girl's mother in the courtroom and apologized to her.
'I forgive you,' she replied.
Afterward, the girl's mother said the defendants displayed a lack of human compassion or 'any moral code.'
'This does not define who my daughter is,' she said in a statement. 'She will persevere, grow and move on. I have pity for you both. I hope you fear the Lord, repent for your actions and pray hard for forgiveness.'
Richmond's attorney, Walter Madison, said Sunday they would appeal the decision.
'This is an invasion of justice at best, a miscarriage of justice at worst,' Madison said, adding that Richmond's family was devastated.
Adam Nemann, who represents Mays, left without commenting.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said the case could not be brought to a 'finality' without a grand jury and he was asking the Jefferson County courts to name one in mid-April to determine if other crimes had been committed.
Crimes that might be considered include failure to report a felony, a misdemeanor, and tampering with evidence, he said, adding that there was no limit to what they might be looked at.
'NO STONE UNTURNED'
Investigators interviewed 27 partygoers but 16 others refused to cooperate and numerous witnesses could be called to testify before a grand jury that could meet for a number of days, DeWine told a news conference.
'This community needs assurance that no stone has been left unturned in our search for the truth,' DeWine said.
The investigation has included interviews with home owners, the school principal, superintendent and football coaches from Steubenville high school, DeWine said.
Bob Fitzsimmons, an attorney representing the girl, said on Sunday his side still was weighing whether to file a civil lawsuit.
The case drew national attention to the town, 40 miles west of Pittsburgh, after a photo and video from the party that appeared to document the assault were posted online.
The computer hacking group Anonymous publicized the picture of two males carrying the girl by her wrists and ankles and organized protests accusing the town known for its 'Big Red' football team of covering up the involvement of more players.
Three teammates of Mays and Richmond were granted immunity and testified against them at the trial. DeWine said Sunday the immunity granted to those players under the specific circumstances would carry over to the grand jury.
The trial's testimony was capped by the girl's acknowledgment that she had little memory from that night.
Lipps said the evidence presented was profane and ugly at times and said that alcohol consumption showed a particular danger to 'our teenage youth.'
Prosecutors had argued that the things that made the girl an imperfect witness, her substantial impairment, also made her a perfect victim.
Under its policy of keeping the names of accusers in rape cases confidential, Reuters has not identified the girl.
(Writing by James B. Kelleher and David Bailey; Editing by Steve Gorman, Xavier Briand and Bill Trott)
Ohio attorney general to continue investigation in Steubenville
(Reuters) - Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said on Sunday he would seek a grand jury investigation to look deeper into the events surrounding the rape of a 16-year-old girl while she was in a drunken stupor last summer at a party in Steubenville, Ohio.
A juvenile judge on Sunday found high school football players Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, delinquent in the sex assault of the girl in the early morning of August 12 when witnesses said she was too drunk to move or speak.
DeWine said that while they had conducted an extensive investigation, 16 people, mostly juveniles, had refused to cooperate and they could not bring a finality to it without convening a grand jury.
(Reporting by David Bailey; Editing by Bill Trtt)
A juvenile judge on Sunday found high school football players Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, delinquent in the sex assault of the girl in the early morning of August 12 when witnesses said she was too drunk to move or speak.
DeWine said that while they had conducted an extensive investigation, 16 people, mostly juveniles, had refused to cooperate and they could not bring a finality to it without convening a grand jury.
(Reporting by David Bailey; Editing by Bill Trtt)
Judge finds two Ohio teens guilty of raping girl
By Drew Singer
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) - Two high school football players from Ohio were found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl at a party last summer while she was in a drunken stupor in a case that gained national exposure through social media.
Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, two members of Steubenville's 'Big Red' football team, were found delinquent in the sexual assault of the girl in the early morning of August 12 when witnesses said she was too drunk to move or speak.
The defendants could be heard sobbing after Judge Tom Lipps announced the decision in the non-jury, juvenile court case. He began immediately taking arguments about a sentence in the case.
Mays and Richmond had denied the charge and said any sex that occurred was consensual.
Both apologized to the victim in short statements after Lipps found them delinquent of all charges against them.
They could be sentenced to a juvenile detention facility until they turn 21, and be required to register as sex offenders.
The case drew national attention to the town, 40 miles west of Pittsburgh, after a photo and video from the party that appeared to document the assault were posted online.
The non-jury trial neared its conclusion late on Saturday after four days of testimony capped by the accuser's tearful acknowledgment on the witness stand that she had little memory from the night of the alleged assaults.
Lipps said the evidence presented was profane and ugly at times and said that alcohol consumption showed a particular danger to 'our teenage youth.'
Mays and Richmond, were charged as juveniles with raping a girl by digital penetration while she was passed out from heavy drinking at a party.
In her testimony on Saturday, the accuser recounted drinking vodka mixed with slushy-iced beverages the night of the party, then finding herself sitting on a curb early the next day with her hands between her legs, vomiting into the street.
She testified that she otherwise had no recollection of what happened during the time span in between, when witnesses in the case have said she was too drunk to move or talk.
Under its policy of keeping the names of accusers in rape cases confidential, Reuters has not identified the girl.
Prosecutor Marianne Hemmeter argued that the things that made the accuser 'an imperfect witness (also) made her, in every sense of the word, a perfect victim.'
'She was substantially impaired, and they treated her like a toy,' the prosecutor said.
Defense attorney Walter Madison countered by highlighting inconsistencies in the accounts of various witnesses, one of whom he accused of taking part in assaulting the girl, then cooperating with prosecutors under a grant of immunity.
(Writing by James B. Kelleher; editing by Steve Gorman, Xavier Briand and Bill Trott)
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) - Two high school football players from Ohio were found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl at a party last summer while she was in a drunken stupor in a case that gained national exposure through social media.
Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, two members of Steubenville's 'Big Red' football team, were found delinquent in the sexual assault of the girl in the early morning of August 12 when witnesses said she was too drunk to move or speak.
The defendants could be heard sobbing after Judge Tom Lipps announced the decision in the non-jury, juvenile court case. He began immediately taking arguments about a sentence in the case.
Mays and Richmond had denied the charge and said any sex that occurred was consensual.
Both apologized to the victim in short statements after Lipps found them delinquent of all charges against them.
They could be sentenced to a juvenile detention facility until they turn 21, and be required to register as sex offenders.
The case drew national attention to the town, 40 miles west of Pittsburgh, after a photo and video from the party that appeared to document the assault were posted online.
The non-jury trial neared its conclusion late on Saturday after four days of testimony capped by the accuser's tearful acknowledgment on the witness stand that she had little memory from the night of the alleged assaults.
Lipps said the evidence presented was profane and ugly at times and said that alcohol consumption showed a particular danger to 'our teenage youth.'
Mays and Richmond, were charged as juveniles with raping a girl by digital penetration while she was passed out from heavy drinking at a party.
In her testimony on Saturday, the accuser recounted drinking vodka mixed with slushy-iced beverages the night of the party, then finding herself sitting on a curb early the next day with her hands between her legs, vomiting into the street.
She testified that she otherwise had no recollection of what happened during the time span in between, when witnesses in the case have said she was too drunk to move or talk.
Under its policy of keeping the names of accusers in rape cases confidential, Reuters has not identified the girl.
Prosecutor Marianne Hemmeter argued that the things that made the accuser 'an imperfect witness (also) made her, in every sense of the word, a perfect victim.'
'She was substantially impaired, and they treated her like a toy,' the prosecutor said.
Defense attorney Walter Madison countered by highlighting inconsistencies in the accounts of various witnesses, one of whom he accused of taking part in assaulting the girl, then cooperating with prosecutors under a grant of immunity.
(Writing by James B. Kelleher; editing by Steve Gorman, Xavier Briand and Bill Trott)
Judge set to render verdict in rape trial of two Ohio teens
By Drew Singer
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) - A judge was set to render his verdict on Sunday in the rape trial of two Ohio high school football players charged with assaulting a 16-year-old girl while she was in a drunken stupor in a case that gained national exposure through social media.
The non-jury trial neared its conclusion late on Saturday after four days of testimony capped by the accuser's tearful acknowledgment on the witness stand that she had little memory from the night of the alleged assaults.
Prosecutors and defense lawyers then rested their cases and delivered closing arguments before Judge Tom Lipps adjourned the proceedings for the night. He said he would weigh the evidence and announce his verdict in court at 10 a.m. local time on Sunday.
Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, two members of the Steubenville High School football team, are charged as juveniles with raping a girl by digital penetration during the early-morning hours of August 12, 2012, while she was passed out from heavy drinking at a party.
If convicted, the defendants could be sentenced to a juvenile detention facility until they turn 21, and be required to register as sex offenders.
Mays and Richmond have denied raping their accuser and say that any sexual contact that occurred was consensual.
The case drew national attention to the Ohio steel town of Steubenville, 40 miles west of Pittsburgh, after photo and video images, as well as Twitter banter, were posted online appearing to document the alleged assault and its aftermath.
In her testimony on Saturday, the accuser recounted drinking vodka mixed with slushy-iced beverages the night of the party, then finding herself sitting on a curb early the next day with her hands between her legs, vomiting into the street.
She testified that she otherwise had no recollection of what happened during the time span in between, when witnesses in the case have said she was too drunk to move or talk.
Under its policy of keeping the names of accusers in rape cases confidential, Reuters has not identified the girl.
Prosecutor Marianne Hemmeter argued that the very things that made the accuser 'an imperfect witness (also) made her, in every sense of the word, a perfect victim.'
'She was substantially impaired, and they treated her like a toy,' the prosecutor said.
Defense attorney Walter Madison countered by highlighting inconsistencies in the accounts of various witnesses, one of whom he accused of taking part in assaulting the girl, then cooperating with prosecutors under a grant of immunity.
(Writing by James B. Kelleher; editing by Steve Gorman and Xavier Briand)
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) - A judge was set to render his verdict on Sunday in the rape trial of two Ohio high school football players charged with assaulting a 16-year-old girl while she was in a drunken stupor in a case that gained national exposure through social media.
The non-jury trial neared its conclusion late on Saturday after four days of testimony capped by the accuser's tearful acknowledgment on the witness stand that she had little memory from the night of the alleged assaults.
Prosecutors and defense lawyers then rested their cases and delivered closing arguments before Judge Tom Lipps adjourned the proceedings for the night. He said he would weigh the evidence and announce his verdict in court at 10 a.m. local time on Sunday.
Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, two members of the Steubenville High School football team, are charged as juveniles with raping a girl by digital penetration during the early-morning hours of August 12, 2012, while she was passed out from heavy drinking at a party.
If convicted, the defendants could be sentenced to a juvenile detention facility until they turn 21, and be required to register as sex offenders.
Mays and Richmond have denied raping their accuser and say that any sexual contact that occurred was consensual.
The case drew national attention to the Ohio steel town of Steubenville, 40 miles west of Pittsburgh, after photo and video images, as well as Twitter banter, were posted online appearing to document the alleged assault and its aftermath.
In her testimony on Saturday, the accuser recounted drinking vodka mixed with slushy-iced beverages the night of the party, then finding herself sitting on a curb early the next day with her hands between her legs, vomiting into the street.
She testified that she otherwise had no recollection of what happened during the time span in between, when witnesses in the case have said she was too drunk to move or talk.
Under its policy of keeping the names of accusers in rape cases confidential, Reuters has not identified the girl.
Prosecutor Marianne Hemmeter argued that the very things that made the accuser 'an imperfect witness (also) made her, in every sense of the word, a perfect victim.'
'She was substantially impaired, and they treated her like a toy,' the prosecutor said.
Defense attorney Walter Madison countered by highlighting inconsistencies in the accounts of various witnesses, one of whom he accused of taking part in assaulting the girl, then cooperating with prosecutors under a grant of immunity.
(Writing by James B. Kelleher; editing by Steve Gorman and Xavier Briand)
Trial of two Ohio students charged with rape nears conclusion
By Drew Singer
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) - Prosecutors and defense lawyers in the trial of two Ohio high school football players charged with raping an incapacitated 16-year-old girl rested their cases on Saturday after testimony from the accuser, and the judge said he would render his verdict the next morning.
Presiding over the non-jury trial, the judge heard closing arguments then adjourned to weigh evidence from four days of testimony, capped by the accuser tearfully acknowledging she had little memory from the night of the alleged assault.
Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, two members of the Steubenville High School football team, are charged as juveniles with raping a girl by digital penetration while she was essentially unconscious from heavy drinking at a party.
If convicted, the defendants could be sentenced to a juvenile detention facility until they turn 21, and be required to register as sex offenders.
The judge said he would announce his verdict in court at 10 a.m. local time on Sunday.
Mays and Richmond have denied raping their accuser and say that any sexual contact that occurred was consensual.
The case drew national attention to the Ohio steel town of Steubenville, 40 miles west of Pittsburgh, after photo and video images, as well as Twitter banter, were posted online appearing to document the alleged assault and its aftermath.
Taking the stand as the final witness of the trial, the accuser recounted drinking vodka mixed with store-bought frozen slushies at a party that evening, then finding herself sitting on a curb early the next day with her hands between her legs, vomiting into the street.
She testified that she otherwise had no recollection of her own of what happened in the early hours of August 12, 2012, when witnesses in the case have said she was too drunk to move or talk.
Under its policy of keeping the names of accusers in rape cases confidential, Reuters is not identifying the girl.
The girl testified that she only learned what had happened to her from text messages, pictures and other information posted on social media by classmates who witnessed the alleged assault. Some of those witnesses have testified.
TEARFUL REACTION
Prosecutors displayed to her some of the pictures that circulated on social media, including one that showed her naked with what prosecutors say is semen on her stomach.
The girl started crying as she looked at the photo, saying she had never seen it before.
'Who is that in the photo?' prosecutor Marianne Hemmeter asked.
'Me,' the girl answered.
'How does it make you feel?' Hemmeter asked.
'Not good.'
The girl also testified that when she finally went to the hospital, after seeing a video in which classmates joked about the incident, she was reluctant to identify her alleged assailants.
When Hemmeter asked her why, the girl replied: 'Because honestly, I was praying that everything I heard wasn't true. I didn't want to get myself into drama because I knew everyone would just blame me.'
Defense attorneys have questioned whether the witnesses in the case remembered details from the party or were just repeating rumors that circulated afterward through their social groups or from investigators looking into the rape allegations.
After cross-examination of the accuser by defense lawyers, who sought to highlight inconsistencies between her testimony and accounts of others, the two sides rested their cases and presented their closing arguments.
Hemmeter argued that the very things that made the accuser 'an imperfect witness (also) made her, in every sense of the word, a perfect victim.'
'She was substantially impaired, and they treated her like a toy,' the prosecutor said.
Defense attorney Walter Madison countered that among the witnesses called by prosecutors, 'neither of their stories matches up.'
He added: 'The reality is somebody's telling a lie. ... Her friend told this court she has a reputation for telling lies.'
Two former friends of the accuser - Kelsey Weaver and Gianna Anile - told the court on Saturday that she was known for fabricating stories.
Weaver, 17, testified the accuser had told her she liked Mays. Weaver also said she watched the accuser drink four shots of vodka and two beers and flirt with Richmond on the night she says the rape occurred.
Weaver said the accuser told her she thought she had been drugged as well - a conclusion Weaver said she did not believe. Asked by the defense why she had doubts, Weaver said, 'Because (she) lies about things.'
Weaver and Anile were with the accuser on the night of the alleged rape. Both testified that they ended their friendship with her because of the accusations.
(Writing by James B. Kelleher; editing by Steve Gorman and Xavier Briand)
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) - Prosecutors and defense lawyers in the trial of two Ohio high school football players charged with raping an incapacitated 16-year-old girl rested their cases on Saturday after testimony from the accuser, and the judge said he would render his verdict the next morning.
Presiding over the non-jury trial, the judge heard closing arguments then adjourned to weigh evidence from four days of testimony, capped by the accuser tearfully acknowledging she had little memory from the night of the alleged assault.
Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, two members of the Steubenville High School football team, are charged as juveniles with raping a girl by digital penetration while she was essentially unconscious from heavy drinking at a party.
If convicted, the defendants could be sentenced to a juvenile detention facility until they turn 21, and be required to register as sex offenders.
The judge said he would announce his verdict in court at 10 a.m. local time on Sunday.
Mays and Richmond have denied raping their accuser and say that any sexual contact that occurred was consensual.
The case drew national attention to the Ohio steel town of Steubenville, 40 miles west of Pittsburgh, after photo and video images, as well as Twitter banter, were posted online appearing to document the alleged assault and its aftermath.
Taking the stand as the final witness of the trial, the accuser recounted drinking vodka mixed with store-bought frozen slushies at a party that evening, then finding herself sitting on a curb early the next day with her hands between her legs, vomiting into the street.
She testified that she otherwise had no recollection of her own of what happened in the early hours of August 12, 2012, when witnesses in the case have said she was too drunk to move or talk.
Under its policy of keeping the names of accusers in rape cases confidential, Reuters is not identifying the girl.
The girl testified that she only learned what had happened to her from text messages, pictures and other information posted on social media by classmates who witnessed the alleged assault. Some of those witnesses have testified.
TEARFUL REACTION
Prosecutors displayed to her some of the pictures that circulated on social media, including one that showed her naked with what prosecutors say is semen on her stomach.
The girl started crying as she looked at the photo, saying she had never seen it before.
'Who is that in the photo?' prosecutor Marianne Hemmeter asked.
'Me,' the girl answered.
'How does it make you feel?' Hemmeter asked.
'Not good.'
The girl also testified that when she finally went to the hospital, after seeing a video in which classmates joked about the incident, she was reluctant to identify her alleged assailants.
When Hemmeter asked her why, the girl replied: 'Because honestly, I was praying that everything I heard wasn't true. I didn't want to get myself into drama because I knew everyone would just blame me.'
Defense attorneys have questioned whether the witnesses in the case remembered details from the party or were just repeating rumors that circulated afterward through their social groups or from investigators looking into the rape allegations.
After cross-examination of the accuser by defense lawyers, who sought to highlight inconsistencies between her testimony and accounts of others, the two sides rested their cases and presented their closing arguments.
Hemmeter argued that the very things that made the accuser 'an imperfect witness (also) made her, in every sense of the word, a perfect victim.'
'She was substantially impaired, and they treated her like a toy,' the prosecutor said.
Defense attorney Walter Madison countered that among the witnesses called by prosecutors, 'neither of their stories matches up.'
He added: 'The reality is somebody's telling a lie. ... Her friend told this court she has a reputation for telling lies.'
Two former friends of the accuser - Kelsey Weaver and Gianna Anile - told the court on Saturday that she was known for fabricating stories.
Weaver, 17, testified the accuser had told her she liked Mays. Weaver also said she watched the accuser drink four shots of vodka and two beers and flirt with Richmond on the night she says the rape occurred.
Weaver said the accuser told her she thought she had been drugged as well - a conclusion Weaver said she did not believe. Asked by the defense why she had doubts, Weaver said, 'Because (she) lies about things.'
Weaver and Anile were with the accuser on the night of the alleged rape. Both testified that they ended their friendship with her because of the accusations.
(Writing by James B. Kelleher; editing by Steve Gorman and Xavier Briand)
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