I wish I knew whether it really is that a greater number of these crimes are happening, whether it’s related to a spreading use of date-rape drugs, or whether it’s just being reported more widely these days. Whatever the case, it’s a devastating development that has to stop. Thanks to Linda.
Three California Teens Arrested After Sexually Battered Girl Commits Suicide
Evan Bleier, Fri, April 12, 2013
http://tinyurl.com/cq3ylfy
California police have arrested three 16-year-old boys who they believe sexually battered a young woman at a party eight months ago, an event which led her to taking her own life.
After pictures of the assault began circulating online, 15-year-old Audrie Pott wrote a post on Facebook saying that her life was ruined and that it was the “worst day ever,” and then she hanged herself.
The time between the suicide and Thursday’s arrest of the boys has been a trying one for Pott’s family. “The family has been trying to understand why their loving daughter would have taken her life at such a young age and to make sure that those responsible would be held accountable,” said family attorney Robert Allard.
“After an extensive investigation that we have conducted on behalf of the family, there is no doubt in our minds that the victim, then only 15 years old, was savagely assaulted by her fellow high school students while she lay on a bed completely unconscious.”
According to Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Lt. Jose Cardoza, the suspects were booked into juvenile hall and face two felonies and one misdemeanor each. All of the charges are related to the sexual battery that allegedly occurred at the party.
The members of Pott’s family have started a foundation in her name. The Audrie Pott Foundation will provide music and art scholarships and offer youth counseling and support, CBS News reports.
The foundation’s website talks about Audrie: “She was compassionate about life, her friends, her family, and would never do anything to harm anyone. She was in the process of developing the ability to cope with the cruelty of this world but had not quite figured it all out. Ultimately, she had not yet acquired the antibiotics to deal with the challenges present for teens in today’s society.”
via Golden Age of Gaia
