15-Year-Old Gang-Raped at School for Over Two Hours While 20 More Watched
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On October 21, 2009, a school homecoming dance in Richmond, California, ended with a 15-year-old girl gang raped, beaten, robbed, stripped of her humanity, and semi-conscious on her way to the hospital. Four police officers and 15 school supervisors were supposed to be monitoring the dance.
The unidentified victim had been drinking heavily during the dance. She was in the process of leaving the dance when a group of students invited her for another drink in the school courtyard. For more than 2 hours, five boys aged 15 to mid-twenties brutally assaulted and raped the 15-year-old in this school courtyard. Up to twenty more people watched, cheered on, laughed, and took photos of the attack on their phones. No one lifted a finger to dial 911, much less physically help the girl. Around midnight, police received a call from someone that overheard “talk” about the incident. Police found her under a bench, naked from the waste down, and unconscious. Thankfully, she is now in stable condition after being flown to the hospital in critical condition.
So far, two teenage suspects have been arrested, but the police estimate that up to twenty more will be arrested in conjunction. Police have posted a $20,000 reward for anyone that comes in with information that helps arrest and convict the people involved.
School officials are making statements to news outlets such as: “tragic incident,” “we are all going to learn from this,” “we wish this would never have happened,” “school administrators and police apparently weren’t watching the area as they should have.” The school also held a safety meeting for parents and students on Wednesday night. However, I think this is too little effort and way too late. School officials just approved security cameras this year after several years of violent crimes on school grounds… such as a student that was shot on school grounds and died in the principles arms. The time for safety meetings and learning from incidents was long before this girl was victimized.
So I ask, after years of violence on school grounds, why were present police and dance supervisors not more cautious? If their job was to patrol the dance, why did they not notice and investigate a crowd of 20 plus boys cheering for over 2 hours? How was this girl intoxicated inside of a school function without any person in authority noticing or taking action?
Of course, the bi-standers and attackers are the criminals here. However, I find the gross incompetence of the school and present police to be culpable as well.
71 Comments
That’s just disgusting. Poor girl… I truly hope she doesn’t remember much of it. And I hope those who stood and watched get locked up along with the attackers.
As the mother of a 15 year old girl I find this sickening. The rape itself being bad enough – but the crowd of cheering onlookers too is a huge problem. What were people in their mid 20’s doing at a high school dance in the first place. I hope they all get busted and butt raped themselves.
A terrible tragedy. I was reading about it yesterday in the paper, and can’t believe that twenty people watched this little girl getting abused for two hours without offering help in any way. I hope these people who watched without coming to the aid of this girl have nightmares for years to come. Well written article Jo.
Should be a big lawsuit against the school by the girl’s parents which the school district will probably settle quietly to avoid publicity.
One aspect of this case that has compounded my disgust is that one of the means which the police are using to find these scumbags is to search YouTube, facebook, etc. for videos and posts bragging about this despicable deed.
I agree with Bullwinkle but at least they may get caught that way. In some ways it shows the way that they have either distanced themselves or become estranged from mainstream society. They know so little of the rules of normality that they will post up these events quite blithely as if there is nothing untoward about them.
Here in the UK we have just had another Facebook murder with a young girl meeting a man who said he was sixteen and then being murdered. He was caught by police who stopped his car because they had no record of insurance – pure accident.
This isn’t so much a sign of how sick the world is getting – it has always been this sick if not more – but that those responsible for the crimes often simply don’t get the fact they have done anything wrong…. worrying.
A very thought provoking article, Jo!
I agree with Bullwinkle but at least they may get caught that way. In some ways it shows the way that they have either distanced themselves or become estranged from mainstream society. They know so little of the rules of normality that they will post up these events quite blithely as if there is nothing untoward about them.
Here in the UK we have just had another Facebook murder with a young girl meeting a man who said he was sixteen and then being murdered. He was caught by police who stopped his car because they had no record of insurance – pure accident.
This isn\’t so much a sign of how sick the world is getting – it has always been this sick if not more – but that those responsible for the crimes often simply don\’t get the fact they have done anything wrong…. worrying.
A very thought provoking article, Jo!
disgusting reprehensible acts.
This is ridiculous!! How could people just sit back and watch something that horrific and not do anything and what kind of sick f**ks could torture someone to that point!
This is another disturbing news about incidents happening in school campuses these days. Such a sick society including school’s administration system.
What is the world coming to? Incredibly sad…
This sounds a good deal like the Kitty Geonvese in March of 1964. Kitty was coming home at around 3:00 A.M. from her job as a bar manager in Queens and was stabbed twice. She cries for help, and the criminal runs away. The attacker comes back 10 minutes later, finds her, stabs her multiple times, raped her, and left her. 38 people heard the cries or screams and did NOT call 911. Kitty died on the way to the hospital after a witness finally called 911 an hour after the beginning of the attacks. This is called the bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility and it’s sad that this girl had to go through such a terrible ordeal.
WAIT A SECOND, poor girl? she was not a saint, if you read, it says about that the 15 years poor angel “The unidentified victim had been drinking heavily during the dance”
if you ask me, a kid like this is not allowed to drink, if you ask me, i bet she was enjoying this sh!t until this get out of control, just a bitch
This is sad but unfortunately bystanders will inherently pass the buck thinking someone else will help.
leaves you in denial – hoping against hope that it never happened – yet knowing it did, Awful,
Shocking, but more shocking is that it is not uncommon. As long as the society sees women as objects of lust, it is bound to be there. And worse, the women often get blamed as being responsible.
Yeah I was shocked when I read about this incident; children are not safe at school or when leaving school, what a damn shame, I am so glad I do not have children I would be worried sick about them. May the cops get the guys who did this and put them in juvenile hall for years.
as terrible as this is, i am not shocked. The world is the way it is and we are to blame.
This makes me cry.
ouch, that sucks, hopefully the girl was unconsious during the rape, must be horrible to have that “violated” feeling
I find this a serious offence and those involved should pay the price and should be locked up for it. Not only the boys, so as well the by standers. They are just as gulity as well for not helping her or trying to attemped to save her.
Today Women in society are objects and are victimized in violent crimes like this and are mostly blame for it or they were asking for it. Which I find this total rubbish and that no women has to put up with this kind of abuse and it is not their fault at all. My heart go\’s out to the girl and her family and hope that she will be strong to face challaeges that may occur in her recovery.
I think the school should step up and take part in building a more safety foundation with the community for teachers, students and anyone else who works at the school. There should be a reinforcement Law to protect students and anyone else who falls a victim to a violent crime in their school grounds.
The girl should not have been drinking, but who provided the drinks? How were they (drinks) on the school grounds? How were 20 year old men there? I would not go so far as to say she was enjoying the abuse or asked for it. This is a horrific crime that she may never recover from. I do not agree with the commenter who wants to lay the blame on her drinking. She was 15, a child. Did she know what she was drinking or the consequences? It states she was raped and the way she was raped was brutal and with her peers looking on without lifting a finger to help. Who did she come with? Can you imagine how she feels towards them?
I really feel sorry for the girl. Despite the fact that 20 possible classmates knew what was going on, no one even tried to help. That’s just sad.
As for the 19 supervisors, they really need to either get more quality, more supervisors or both. Smuggling liquor in school, drinking it in school, acting drunk, crowding around an area for two hours, and then lying on the ground under a bench. I really have nothing to say.
this was a horrible thing to happen, the parents should take action for the girl being able to drink un noticed at a school function
Ok, those rapists are evil men and deserve to rot in jail. That’s a given. BUT….
…the girl should have been more careful, at least. If she hadn’t acted too wild that night, and instead surrounded herself with other girl classmates al night long….this wouldn’t have happened to her.
According to this account, she willfully accepted the offer to HAVE ANOTHER drink in the school courtyard. Clearly this offer was made by an all-guys group (or at least a majority of guys). What kind of school girl with proper decorum would agree to drink beer with the guys in a school courtyard at almost midnight?
My sympathy goes out to the girl but she could have prevented this from happening if she chose the right actions.
Of course, this doesn’t undo the evil acts of those crazy rapist bastards and wankers who chose to watch instead of help. May they all be arrested stark naked and butt raped (thanks for the phrase B Nelson..lol) every night by deranged prison inmates.
The vermin that participated in this violent crime should be punished to the full extent of the law. Those in the crowd that cheered the rapists on should be arrested and tried as acsessories to the crime. This is a violent sexual assult and those involved as perpetrators and those who were watching this take place and cheering are beneath contempt and should be treated like the scum they are.
It’s disgusting
Society shouldn’t have allowed this to happen in the first place
Were to ‘nice’ to people who do wrong, making excuses for there crimes
It’s about time the death penalty and prison sentences that really are a life time.
That girl is more then likely wishing she was dead because of what happened to her, they destroyed her. It’s only right that the same happens to them
That horrid action should of never had to have this happen to that poor child. Those cruel children should be locked up and never let out.
Jo – WHERE did you get the part about the victim drinking heavily before she left? I haven’t seen that in any News report on it.
Since I was bann from cnn, let see what happen here.Uma Shankari; your right, in the eyes of (MEN) women are object of lust.So what is a woman purpose for being here on earth??? Acker 55; What is rape! It is SEX, women have Sex all the time, well maybe not all the time only when they can get something for it.Verniel Cutar; Deranged Prison Inmates, that hollywood, but now you want Rapist to Rape other Rapist??? Question how many of you women would walk outside at night naked at 3 am? Why Not?For you women, who know that this is what Men and boys want, need, and pay you for, if you don’t want things like this to never happen again, then CASTRATE all baby boys when there born, and that will solve your problem.
I pity the girl for what she had been through. But the real question is. not who but What to blame?
it makes you wounder what is wrong with the world, more and more attacks like this are being reported. Children forcing other children to do disgusting things, torturing them, raping them, why don’t the parent teach them better, why doesn’t society help educate and etach and get rid of the gang culture. Even children as young as 12 are doing these thing, why do they even know what sex is let alone know how to torture others in that way. Isn’t it time it stopped? If this carries on then there will be noone who hasnt experienced or know a victim in the country. Im disgusted and only hope the future will be better.
@Junior B and larry b.
I don’t think the point here is whether the girl was drunk or not, whether a woman walks naked or not.
The point here is that a very young woman was gang-raped and many people find it fun. Yes, fun.
It makes me sick to my stomach not only what happened to this girl, but both of you two.
I see you’re both males, and I hope you never had a female relative or friend raped.
In that case ask them what they were wearing, or if they think rape is sex.
And you’ll see how wrong you are.
You two are just as disgusting as those cheering up the rape gang.
Would you cheer them up b/c the girl was completely drunk?
I hope she finds peace and justice someday soon, cause, sadly, she will never recover her youth…
I agree 100% with you. This is sickening, but more, it is incompetence of officials that are supposed to be doing their jobs.
Horrendous and disgusting.
How can the officials justify their incompetence!
Strange logic in the comments of Junior B – should the person be raped if s/he has been drinking? and larry b. – “For you women, who know that this is what Men and boys want, need, and pay you for” – really?
Is it this kind of silly and perverted logic that motivated the rapists and onlookers?
Oh my… poor girl! Those people who are doing something like this is just… cant say in words how bad they are.
I totally agree with you.
She was lured off school grounds to an unpatrolled “gathering” of more drinkers. Thats why there were no school officials or security investigating the area. She drank and socialilzed more until she passed out. Then the rape occured. No one deserves to be raped. Hindsight is 20/20 so it is easy for us to say anything from our perspective, the who’s, what’s, and why didn’t they do this, is of little consequence….the question that needs to be asked, not only in Richmond, but in schools and communites across the nation is, “What do we need to do to prevent something like this, to happen again?”
The whole incident is sickening. And to think that none of those cheering boys took pity on the girl. It’s not much about the officials not noticing. What was really sick was that the boys enjoyed watching someone being raped and beaten.
The girl- (assuming she was drinking) is at fault for getting drunk. OF COURSE SHE DID NOT DESRVE TO BE RAPED
The boys-men-scum need to have their pi-pis cut off if convicted. In my 51st state, that would happen.
The supervisors of the dance would be charged with criminal negligence and face severe jail time. Goes without saying that they would lose their jobs.
Of course, we need to make sure we know the facts. Remember the Duke rape case?
The culture in that area comes out of decades of community parenting paired with drug use and abuse. Many adults in that area have not behaved as adults for quite some time, they have also been beset by business interest trying to acquire what assets are available in the area so that they have not been able to remain stable enough to address social issues. The mindset of their children are the results of years of neglect. Neglect in creating the prequisite, courtesy, respect for life and property. Peer pressure and group cohesiveness is a way of life there for the young.
so sad for human societies
what is our world turning into? its sad that such inhuman acts can be condoned and seen as entertainment.
i don’t care if the everyone at the prom is drunk even if i was wasted i would quickly start beating on the ones raping her THEN go for people watching it and used one of their cell phones to call the police (to save money on mine). even if i was put in jail for awhile for assault i wouldn’t regret it one second
That is horrifying …
It is sickening to hear that that many people can be involved and that not one person would stand up and do something about it …. absolutely disgusting, inhumane and brutal. It definitely says something about the level of morality in society.
To the idiots wondering whether or not she “invited” the rape: No one “invites” rape. It doesn’t matter if she was walking around drunk and naked, if she doesn’t consent, she was raped. Period.
like i always say let the punishment fit the crime!
That is just messed up. I couldn’t even read the hole thing. I stopped when it said that she was stable. I hope they get the guys that did it and the others get some kid of punishment. Not only did she get raped but the people taking photos did not get permission to take the pictures of her naked. Maybe they can get it for that or for not doing anything. When I was in school I would have jumped in there and helped the girl get out. What is it with kids today. No respect, no discipline and no manners. I hope the guys that did this get raped in jail.
Whatever the school has to say is no excuse, i hope everyone that was involed will be prosecuted as adults and be severly punished for this action, because believe me if that was my daughter, i would take even further action!!
For all the individual who mention that she was drunk …this factor has nothing to do with her being rape. If it wasn’t her “who say” it wouldn’t have been another girl.
According to me its seems that the youth of today are lacking morals and structure.
What kind of genetic makeup would you have to stands around and watch something like this take place and do nothing, to help. If a 15 year boy old could watch such a terrible incident what kind of man will he grow up to be… according to me, a rapist? Each and every one of these individuals need jail time 20 to life will suite this type of crime.. If we keep individuals like this out of society it would be a little bit safer for all others.
All the school officials and everyone else who was in charge of the safety of these students that night need to be fired and should not be able to get another job which involves children.
This sounds like a very violent school. I am proud to attend one of the safest school’s in the United States, and It got that way by doing everything possible to keep us safe. This school needs to take more safety measures to keep the students who attend it safe.
I just watched the news video about this. It didn’t say she was drinking or drunk. That part is false.
What happened was at around 9:00 pm. The 15 year-old girl was leaving the dance and a friend asked her to walk with him to the school yard. By the school yard, there is a fence that divides the school property and the other houses. The group of people ages ranging from 18-20 years old jumped over the fence and started raping her.
The area was very dim, so for 2 hours and 30 minutes. No school personals or police saw them.
Several people did see them and left without reporting it or they stayed and participated.
That’s should clear up some things.
Here is the video from CNN.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/27/california.gang.rape.investigation/index.html
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as… er… the… er… like-er of a 14 year old girl, i think this is just wrong. nobody should have to have their lives ruined by hoodlums and im not sure, but if abortion is illegal in that area, it should be allowed for this person.
i hope she has a good life :/
This story is utterly shocking and disgusting! Some of the other comments on this story are equally shocking and probably disturb me more. She’s a 15 year old for heavens sake. She’ll probably never get over this event, and years of counselling certainly won’t remove the stain on her memory.
This is terrible news… I hope that everyone involved feels utterly ashamed. I also wish upon them, the fate of the poor girl who they did not help…
If the kid was not drunk
i have no sympathy for the rapists
they should be shot /hanged
Let the boys learn a lesson
others will get scared too.
‘ tis is outrageous
my poem stands amended to that extent
nonethe less it should serve as a warning
to erring parents
and girls should take care
We all should learn from this incident and do something so that these incidents do not happen during school activities. Mike Geragos, defense attorney, says incidents like this have happened in the past and will continue in the future. What has the world become?
To those that asked for sources r/t the girl drinking:
“The victim, a sophomore, had left the dance and was drinking alcohol in a school courtyard with a group when she was attacked, police said.” -http://news.aol.com/main/nc/article/more-arrests-in-homecoming-gang-rape-in/737532
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,570189,00.html
“the victim, a sophomore, left the dance and was walking to meet her father for a ride home when a classmate invited her to join a group drinking in the courtyard. The girl had consumed a large amount of alcohol by the time the assault began, police said.”-
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/10/27/crimesider/entry5424131.shtml
“Police said the girl left the dance and was walking to meet her father for a ride home when a classmate invited her to join a group drinking in the courtyard. The victim had drank a large amount of alcohol by the time the assault began, police said.” -
This is the is the an excellent example of non-critical thinking by people who should know better. Balderdash. Who reported it? Why was alchol supplied at a typical school dance.
The author seems to have cottoned on to a sensational story. That’s all – sensatioanlism par excellence.
Writers should know better than to take what they read at face value. Publishing an article that probably came from a major netowrk as fact is risibele.
I would like to see the author report from a first hand account. To me she simply published whatever she thought would excite from the mainstream media. Shame.
In response to Junior B and Larry B…
This incident is obviously tragic… People make mistakes, and people more often than not make bad choices. Sure the young lady made a horrible choice to be drinking in the first place (not forgetting to consider her age of course) but it sounds to me like you two are merely trying to blame the incident on the girl…
The only thing she is responsible for is being drunk. She could not controll the actions of those other boys that attacked her. Why would you say that it is her fault completely? It sounds to me like you two most definitely would have been one of the 20 that were cheering on the attack.
No matter what, “NO MEANS NO,” and sex is only to be considered rape is the term “NO” is stated. This was a gang rape, so the girl must have said “NO” so its not completely her fault.
Truley shocking mans inhumanity to others never ever fails to shock me, i dont know what else i can say, i hope the girl recovers fully and the rapists and by standers are taken to trial and locked up.
i cannot tell you how disgusted i am coz of this horrific news! 20 people watched her getting raped? Not only that but they cheered?
its tru that people these days don’t care! What els is going to happen in the future?
If this were my daughter, those boys would be coming forward and asking to be arrested, jail is the only place they would be safe from my wrath. What is wrong with humanity these days and why were there 20 yr old guys at a school function?
Nothing is wrong with humanity. The majority of us have checked in here with concern…we are humanity as it should be and WE will prevail. The perpetrators will be dealt with by the rule of Justful law and that is what the majority of us represent. It is YOU who will be in that courtroom the day Justice comes to call.
I was very troubled when I heard about this..
James DeVere,
I had made up my mind to abstain from the debate that I knew would ensue after publishing this story. However, I will address you since you attacked me, the author.
“Sensationalism”
Most complex subjects are tagged with sensationalism regardless of whether the facts are present or not. Subjects that produce an emotional response such as: rape, war, abortion, politics, etc.. are all going to have proponents and detractors that use their emotional responses to devalue the facts, allegations, persons involved, and even the writer. However, emotional responses by society, whether in favor of the subject or not, do not change reality. I do not know which aspects you view as sensational -rape, beat, onlookers? However, the facts are clear on all; police determined the girl was raped by multiple different boys, you tube video showed that onlookers watched, the girl was in the hospital with critical injuries from being beat. Some news, labeled as sensational, reflects news of the moral life of the community and is related to the community moral well being. There is a difference between that …and news that is sensational for its own sake. A 2 ½ hour rape and battery, where onlookers do nothing and school officials fail to do their jobs doesn’t need any sensationalism added to be news.
“I would like to see the author report from a first hand account.”
Now, that is laughable or “risible” (note the correct spelling) as you put it. I don’t have to be present or be the victim to report a story. In fact, it is first hand account that is often skewed with the emotional detail and sensationalism, that you seem to virulently object to. Journalistic news isn’t about the author giving a first hand account. Instead, the authors job is to collect and/or pose questions for the- fact, circumstance, and context of the subject and then provide the reader with an unbiased read….which is what I did. My short opinion in the closing paragraph was clearly labeled as opinion for my Triond readers by using “I.”
This is just another frightening example of the savage animals disguised as humans that we have living among us. Whoever the slobs are that raised these roaches should be proud and I wish they could be punished also. I was considering writing about this incident myself but Jo Oliver did a nice job.
This is very much shocking and inhuman!!
You stupid assholes sit around and wonder how things like this could happen.
Have you been paying attention to the types of content being watched on TV, video games, movies, internet? Do you understand the level of violence and savagery that is being exalted by the media? Where do you think young people get these ideas? You cannot blame parents 100%.
Young people are becoming desensitized. I see it around my city, and if you\’d really open your eyes, you\’d see it around yours.