This just really seems like a murky case that is going to come down to he said, she said,with various contradictions. I’m not siding with one side or the other, but simply saying based on what is reported so far, it is hard to know which side to believe. A girl attends the encounter willingly, likely knowing the purpose of it. They have an exchange afterward via writing that might be typical in a consensual follow-up e-mail. Girl later says it wasn’t consensual. Girl says they had intercourse. Boy says they didn’t go through with intercourse. Lots of contradictions and it doesn’t seem clear cut.
This is getting off track, but consensual sex between a 15 and 18 year old is legal in the state of NH.
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/LXII/632-A/632-A-3.htm
I read that the age of consent in New Hampshire is 16. Regardless, this does not sound like a case of consent, what 15 yr old wants to have sex in a broom closet?
New Hampshire also has mandatory reporting, so that if an employee of the school suspected that assault or abuse was occuring, they are required to report.
It is, with a close-in-age exception as per my earlier post.
Agreed!
Not taking sides and I find the whole thing repulsive, but the defense is arguing that this particular type of encounter at this school was considered an honor for these young girls. If that’s what happened here, that would be the 15 year old’s motivation/desire to have sex in the broom closet.
The defendant reportedly as been through several sets of attorneys, and it makes one wonder if perhaps he was offered a plea to a lesser charge and refused to take it.
IMO both the defendant and the victim showed an incredible lack of judgment in this case, if the newspaper reports turn out to be accurate. But if the jury is persuaded beyond a reasonable doubt by the victim’s testimony that she said stop and he disregarded her, he will be found guilty and no “tradition” will alter the outcome. It is always a person’s prerogative to say no.
Nevertheless, “beyond a reasonable doubt” is a very high bar to clear, and high-profile cases such as Duke and Virginia that eventually fell apart may be in the back of jurors’ minds when they begin deliberations.
^Sorry, but of course the defense is going to paint that picture but as one familiar with the school it is total BS. The whole “tradition” thing is being misconstrued and misinterpreted. The phrase “senior salute” does not nor did not equal “we are going to have sex” especially forced sex. There also is no tradition of a contest amongst the senior boys except for Labrie and a few of his misogynistic buddies. This small group of guys took things to a whole other place. The media is selling the story because its sensational and the defense is selling the story because they are hoping to provide the accused an excuse and paint a picture that the accuser knew what she was getting into.
This whole “its an honor for these young girls” thing just smacks of our sexist culture and the job society does on young women. 8-|
Plus, the accused is claiming no sex took place. He’s not claiming consensual sex.
Do people really buy into the idea that the average 15 yr. old girl wants her first sexual experience to be with an older boy whom she barely knows? I don’t. I certainly don’t buy the defense claim that most freshman girls at St. Paul’s considered such an encounter to be “an honor”. I throw the BS flag on that play.
The accused specifically targeted this girl. He pursued her. She said no to meeting him and he had a younger boy, a friend of the girl, plead his case to meet up with the accused. All for “winning” his sicko contest - a contest that is NOT a tradition. Having sex with THIS girl specifically was his goal because it got him the most points in his twisted contest. Her name was in bold on his list. Her name was worth the most points in his contest. He was in a position of authority on campus, in positions of student leadership. There will be evidence and testimony supporting that he did have sex with her, something he claimed to policy he did not do.
This.
So his first argument is thtat they did not have sex, but if they did have sex, she wanted it and it was an honor. But they did not have sex, but he used a condom. Got it.
I think the young man will get a free college education from his jail cell.
If this is all true then this kid was almost a stalker - a psychopath. Book should be thrown as an example to others. Even if they didn’t actually have intercourse, three years is a big gap in age to be toying with such a young girl.
@MidwestDad3 - It’s my understanding that his first attorney of 4 and the prosecutor were working on a some kind of plea bargain. At the 11th hour, the accused and his first attorney parted ways.
http://www.vnews.com/news/14337638-95/tunbridge-teens-plea-deal-nixed
Thanks @doschicos. It sounds like the defense attorney probably worked very hard to obtain an acceptable plea agreement, and on the day it was scheduled the client backed out. IMO the defendant is very foolish for taking this to trial.
There is a strong inference in the story that this was only a “rape” due to the girl’s age. In other words, it was consensual sex. My personal opinion is that consensual sex between a 15 and 18 year old ought not be considered “rape.”
^^ She said no and tried to fight him off. How is that consensual?
^^^ She SAYS she said “no.” He says she didn’t. Unless one of us is in the courtroom, nobody here knows what the actual evidence will show and our opinions don’t matter.
The age difference does disturb me, tho. There is a world of difference between 15 and 18, particularly when the 18-year-old is an accomplished, confident senior. Apparently, however, someone above sleuthed the law and there is no statutory violation here.
In the year old Crimson article I earlier linked it was said that a sexual assault nurse examined the victim and found a laceration consistent with forcible rape. You guys who don’t seem to get it, please note that lacerations are not usually part of consensual sex. He was initially charged with three counts of felonious aggravated sexual assault, three counts of statutory sexual assault and one count of using a computer to lure the victim. The three counts probably come from three separate attempts to penetrate. He had three chances to consider what he was doing and stop.
I’m repulsed by those of you who compare this to the Duke University case. This girl is not a stripper/prostitute.
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2014/9/3/owen-labrie-sexual-assault/