15 Year-Old Raped: Turning Outrage to Action
October 29, 2009
by Hillarymygirl16 and Optixmom
|The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors, and not necessarily those of The New Agenda.
On the evening of Saturday, October 24th, a 15 year-old girl in Richmond, CA was brutally gang raped by as many as 10 men/boys outside her school after she had attended her homecoming dance. No one who was outside the school at the time came to help the young girl or stand in the way of her attackers to stop the abuse and get the girl immediate medical attention. Bystanders either lined up for their opportunity to assault the girl or took pictures or video of the attack as if it was part of a reality show. It was several hours before another woman heard of the attack and called the police.
When we heard of this gang rape not only was our reaction disgust toward the offenders as well as the bystanders, but outrage that this could ever happen to anyone and not have someone come to their aid. There were people viewing this attack and none of them stepped in or called the police. None. Where is the outrage? Why isn’t Congressman George Miller (representative for that district) or Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (who is a congress representative for the adjoining district) not on TV calling for legislation to prevent crimes such as this? What is to prevent this atrocity from not happening again at your children’s school?
We, as a society, need to take a stand and make it perfectly clear that violence against women is wrong…period. We also need to reinforce that if you see a violent act against anyone and you can prevent it from going any further, then do it. Call the police or stand up for the victim. It is not unheard of for individuals to stand up for what is right and get the abusers to stop.
The abusers in this crime are not aliens from another planet. They are young men that represent thousands of men in our society. These young men represent those who use rape as a way to show that they are powerful. Whether it is leveraged by an individual or a gang, raping a girl/woman should not be seen as something cool or positive. Just as lynching is seen as heinous, so should rape. It would be even more powerful if men would stand up and speak out against this heinous crime. Men have the power to fight alongside women and end this violence.
What should we do to show our outrage? We should firsthand let those in a position of authority in Districts 8 – 13 in California know that they have to do something more than just watch as the police prosecute the offenders. We need to contact California Senators and remind them that they have the obligation to carry this atrocity with them into the legislative chambers and make sure they do everything they can so that this never happens again. We need to protect the woman who called the police to report the crime because she is being treated as a snitch. When someone stands up for what is right, we as a society need to thank them and stand behind them.
The media also needs to understand that even though the offenders did not stop this girl’s heart from beating, the anguish sustained by a victim of gang rape is a life threatening injury. This young woman will need all of our collective prayers to help support her as she finds the strength to find her life again. Tennessee Guerilla Woman has information on how you can donate to help the victim and her family at this difficult time.
Our reality is that this crime could happen to anyone’s daughter at any school, at any time. This reality should make your blood boil. We have the power to stop this from ever happening again and we challenge you to use that power and make a difference for every woman’s future.
Thanks for writing this important piece. Let’s hope this thugs are not only brought to justice, but that the whole district uses this as a teachable moment to speak about violence against teens and women in general.
And we need more women in government to change things. Exhibit A is what is happening here in New York when state senator Liz Krueger is taking the lead on Monserrate – and Sen Gillibrand is also speaking out.
This story has made my blood boil! It is horrific to think that people would stand by and not do anything to help this poor girl. And to watch and video tape it as if it were a form of entertainment is well out of the realm of a civilized human.
The woman who called the police should be honored.
When parents send their children to school, and to school events, they need to feel confident they will be safe. The legislators in this district need to make this a top priority. How would they feel if this were their daughter or granddaughter? Would they just shake their heads? Just dismissing this as another miscellaneous violent crime is no solution. Demand solutions from lawmakers.
And where’s our “teachable moment?” Where’s the marches, where’s the national media feeding frenzy over “SEXISM IN AMERICA: A SPECIAL REPORT!!!!!”
This story should make every woman’s blood boils. When it comes down to it women need to start taking to the Streets and standing up against this and yes it is up to men to stop this from happening. The wink wink mentality has to stop and men have to remind each other that NO always means NO and being unable to speak is an automatic NO.
We may be only one person but sometimes all it takes is for one person to speak up and more will follow.
Horrible. Heartbreaking. Common theme in pornography. Rape, especially child rape, will never stop until ‘we’ stop sexualizing it and sexualizing children. Feministing–a disgusting pro-pornography and pro-sadism and masochism site recently had an article about how empowering to women these two things are. The most common theme in pornography is child rape (rape of someone especially a young woman who looks underage). The pornography industry makes billions (not millions but BILLIONS) each year and someone is buying these videos or paying for these websites.
I gave up fighting this cause a long time ago when all of the allegedly big feminists went pro-porn (which to me is akin to a black person going pro-slavery). Andrea Dworkin said it best when speaking about Linda Lovelace, whose rape was filmed and made into the movie Deep Throat, if you can force a woman to f..k a dog you can make her so anything. One day women might be able to separate their self-worth and raison-d’etre from male approval, but until that day all I can do is cry about what is happening.
I hope that this young woman gets the best attorney in CA and sues those men for everything they are worth or will earn for their entire lives. And I hope they are charged and convicted and receive from GOD the true punishment they deserve–which is simply to be treated exactly the way they treated that poor child. Over and over and over and over and over and over times infinity. and then some. and then a little more. oh, and then one more time for good measure.
Where’s Obama? He was willing to flap his gums about a “stupid” white cop when he had no facts about the case. We know a girl was gang raped while others stood and watched, or waited “their turn.” I have yet to hear whether the victim is black, white, Latino, Asian, or what the race(s) of the attackers are, and it shouldn’t matter one bit. Rape is rape.
THIS IS A TEACHABLE MOMENT ABOUT HATE CRIME, MR. OBAMA.
Excellent article, and most urgently needed! This needs to be shouted from the rooftops: “CALL 911 WHEN YOU SEE SOMEONE BEING ACCOSTED!” There is no excuse for not doing something so simple.
Thank you, HMG and Optixmom, for the suggestions on how to take action. I will be calling congresspeople and demanding answers from those in charge, and praying for this precious girl and her family.
I just heard on FoxNews about a new study out that shows from 2004-2009, violence on tv increased by 2%, but violence against women on tv increased by 120%!
Yes, where the heck is Mr or Mrs. Obama?
Amy,
What is “violence against women” really? When you hit a man it is assault, when you hit a woman it is S & M. When you you tie up and rape a stranger, sometimes it is rape, but when you do it to a loved one, it is sex. When you hurt someone they cry, unless it is sexual…..
Violence against women is always sexual. always. I remember Spielburg’s movie Schindler’s List where he just had to sexualize the jewish woman being beaten by the nazi–he just had to have her nipples showing. Disgusting. But, once again, it was being done to woman so by god it is sexual.
We have blurred the lines girls. We must stop, go back , and re-define what is sex and what is not. And we have to demand what Canada has already done which is to criminalize and get rid of all pornography that is violent or reinforces stereotypical images that hurt women so that their civil rights are impaired. Until then, violence will keep being sexy as long as the victim is a woman or playing the role of a woman.
Mr. Obama’s role model, the repulsive Rev. Wright, has already spoken on this issue. Women have it easy and that goes double for white women and they only real issue regarding civil rights are people of color. I suppose he forgot that black men got the right to vote before women in America and that the sexual slavery market is primarily made up of men selling women. I still remember his middle finger, and I hope that he can see mine all the way up there in Washington…..
Thank you, Optix and HMG, for writing this excellent article. My heart goes out to the young victim and to her family. The fact that people stood around and videotaped the attack sickens me as much as the rape itself. What has happened to our country and our culture that we have produced so many young people who are lacking even the most basic sense of right and wrong?
If you go to sfgate.com (SF Chronicle) the end of the article about this crime has information about a fund being set-up for the victim. If you send a check please write in the memo line that it is for the victim. Otherwise, it will probably get directed to the athletic fund. What is wrong with this country that raping a child is considered a spectator sport? Are we a nation of moral idiots? These young “men” did not believe that this girl had a heart, a mind or a soul and raping and beating her nearly to death was not any more significant than stepping on a bug.
I was in my car yesterday when I heard this on NPR (it made me sick and, instead of shopping, I went directly home). The NPR discussion (although sympathetic to the victim and opposed to such violence)focused on people’s unwillingness to protest such public actions despite knowing what was happening was horribly wrong and the damage to the victim worse than can be imagined. Obviously, there is some truth to that analysis.
It is but one reason this is a particularly important protest. Another comment on NPR was that four of the young men arrested may spend the rest of their lives in prison. Imagine the response to that! After the outrage over the act will come denial–boys will be boys, her complicity, everyone was doing it, etc.
Many thanks to Amy Suskind and the New Agenda for providing a format to us in order to pursue this and other violations in women’s lives. In the short time since The New Agenda was birthed, it has taken on so many challenges and given us a venue in which to converse and act with others of like mind.
This case, this monsterous case echos an urgency for us to step up, step in, and fight against rape with all our might. We need writers, we need to explore
the past, and write about it. That includes a large period of time, but I think of Nazi Germany, I think of the My Lia massacre, and why did this get repeated in Bosnia. Why did we stand by and why did we do nothing. We need
to have our eyes on Radovan Karaczic, who is currently on trail at the Hague.
He is the one who instigated and killed over 8,000 people, and savagely raped
women and girls. Not mentioned in that 8,000 number just how many girls committed suicide after watching their mother’s rape, after they were raped.
They couldn’t live with it, so hundreds hung themselves.
We need writers on the DeAnza College case and the boys who were kicked off the
baseball team, who had a code of silence, and the rape victim because of her
faulty memory had no case against the rapist. We need to know how those boys, who probably have families now, how are they enjoying and living their lives,
and compare that to how the victim is getting on with life. We need writers
to be at Richmond Courthouse, and see the pure evil that exist in that
city.
We need writers to expose the problems with law, in relation to sexual violence. We need someone to help with the media, especially when they report that this rape victim “did not suffer life threatening injuries”, we need to make people see what that process is about when women try to reasonably get their life back after being raped.
As a victim of gang rape, I can tell you, you can forgive, but you never, never
forget. Do not lose faith, we can use our hands with our voices to build a new road together.
Anne, we’re not humans to them. We’re teh annoying and inconvenient brains attached to the p*ssies and t*ts they want. We are obstacles that stand between them and 24/7 total access our bodies.
Readers – I just want you to know that I am writing a piece about the Richmond Case for The Daily Beast – will be in over the weekend. We’re hoping to raise national awareness around this crisis!
One wag on the SF Chronicle blog said that the defense will claim that she gang raped herself. Or that she was asking for it, like going off and drinking with the boys is an offense punishable by rape. Can you imagine how outraged cowboy country would be if women were to suggest that castration should be the penalty for exercising poor judgement? Remember the Lorena Bobbitt trial–you would have thought the world would come to an end. Perhaps the hate crimes legislation will society to reframe rape as a hate crime instead of a sex crime. It really is a violation of basic human rights; the outlet is sexual.
I love how the media started to ponder the “bystander affect” when they were suddenly forced to realize the reality of the fact that the bystanders were waiting for their -turn-; not waiting for someone to help.
and by bystanders, I mean men.
Actually, Kiuku, it was almost scarier than waiting their turn. I understand
many bystanders were just watching–as though the rape were entertainment.
Fanny is correct–we need to write about rape throught the ages. I thought today–that is why marriage became so important, for whatever protection it offered.
Hillarysmygirl16 and Optixmom have done a great service for all of us. I look forward to Amy’s article in the Daily Beast.
I am afraid for the brave woman who reported this she is being called a snich and since this occured in a poor innercity neighborhood “sniches” often end up dead or injured real bad I hope the police are protecting her.
I used to wonder why the most vicious, horrific oppression in the world, and the most constant and predictable, was the oppression of men by wqomen. How can they do this to the people they expect to have sex with, of ALL PEOPLE?
It took my a long time to realize that, in the male mind, the two are connected. Sorry, but it’s true. They don’t oppress us despite having sex with us, they oppress us BECAUSE they have sex with us. And the male outlook on life in general consists of: “If I get my dick in you, you lose.”
That’s it. That’s literally all it is. I tried to logick myself out of that conclusion, but it was inevitable. Dominance and submission and their pecking orders are all that matter to them, and in their frame of mind, their worldview, if I get my dick in you, you lose. That’s IT.
This then goes to “if I could conceivably ever get my dick in you” or “if I would like to get my dick in you” or “if you ever once agreed to having anyone’s dick in you,” you lose. Especially if you agreed to it, you are a voluntary loser! And once you voluntarily agree to debase yourself, then you can expect nothing but degradation permanently.
Is sex degradation? Well, not in the female mind, which is why I was so damn confused for so long about this. But the only possible conclusion that any sane person can reach is that the two are connected in the male mind. They’re either “nice guys” who feel guilty about it, or *ssholes who revel in it, but they all believe it, deep inside themselves.
Unpopular opinion, I know. But it’s unpopular because it’s true. If it’s not, then let men prove it by eradicating rape — it’s their responsibility, not ours. We don’t do it.
A callout to the Obamas – where’s the “national conversation” on rape?
Janis and Margorie,
Yes, they were ‘watching’ because rape is enjoyable, it is entertaining, and millions of people watch it everyday getting sexually excited. And yes until women realize that men do this, like this, and then use the fact that we are ‘lesser’ to justify lower salaries, less promotions, and, of course, denying us the presidency even when we win, we will continue to be the lowest on the totem pole.
As I stated above, Feministing (A repulsive and truly anti-woman website) had a discourse on rape fantasies and 100% of the opinions including those of staff writers was that it was good, it was fun, and it was sexually exciting. My comment was deleted because I addressed the sickness therein.
Read Andrea Dworkin’s books on sex and power and then come back and let’s talk about how to end rape. If women could ever come together and do this the world would never be the same. Imagine just one day with no rape……
Jenniferintexas,
Would you happen to have a link of that Feministing discussion? I’d love to look at it.
Alison,
I will find it next week and post it. I have to work Sunday. If you go their site try to do a search on ‘rape fantasies’ and see what it brings up. Too sad. Makes me sick to even say it. And this is supposedly an example of a feminist organization. NO.
I wonder how like totalled empowerfulating those idiots would find a woman’s rape fantasy if she said that she fantasizes doing the raping. They’d proably be all over her like a ton of bricks calling her a manhater. Morons.
The news broadcasts say that the authorities can not prosecute the ‘watchers’ of this crime because the law covering it cuts off the legal liability at the victim’s age of 14 and she was 15.
I would like to see the list of votes, for and against, in the state legislature for this law and go back in time to listen in to the discussion prior to the vote in which it hopefully could be made clear why the legislature considered it LEGAL TO WATCH ANYONE OLDER THAN 14 GETTING RAPED!
At the very least, we might get an eye-opener as to how our laws are enacted and just how far our representatives will go to protect Society.
I believe that legal proceeding clearly shows adults acting badly and being completely irresponsible…and they are our representatives.
How about more sunshine on the law-making process throughout the land.
In a normal town I would feel outrage. Because
this is that he’ll hole Richmond, I feel disgust.
I drive the long way around to avoid this place
there is gang gunfire every day. It is a Mini Oakland
and the reason no one called police and watched the
rape is because it’s a rather normal way of life there.
Only those who have decided to live by their
own barbaric code live there.
I have been there a few times and was treatened
everytime I went.
Most of us in the area loath the cesspool that Richmond,
Oakland and the up and commin Vallejo are. Will there be sadness
in destroying a young girls life…no there will be no thoughts
what so ever, not one iota of feelings of guilt because
these young men as most others in these communities
their creed is to take what they want, they are entitled, rules and
authority be damned, they were raised with this attitude and will
feel totally justified in destroying anything they see it.
You are compareing apples to oranges, these are not your
average young men who have morals.
Dede,
Your dismissive comments are disheartening. I believe that there are always solutions; some are easier to find than others. The behavior of these men/boys is not limited to a street gang that resides in the ghetto, this behavior manifests itself on sports teams and in fraternities; places where poverty is not the ruling factor. We have to stop turning our back and pushing off the problems as something that only happens in “bad neighborhoods”.
Not so long ago a man walked into a workout club and shot the women there. The general public did not see that as a violent sexist act, just a violent act. These young men target a woman and spend more than two hours beating and raping her and the general public dismisses it as another violent act, no sexism involved.
What has happened is that the American public has concluded that there is no such thing as sexism, regardless what they see happening in front of their eyes.
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