Tuesday, July 24, 2012

NO JUSTICE FOR 17-YEAR-OLD RAPE VICTIM

Rape victim committed the unspeakable act of defying a court order by outing the identity of her attackers who only got a slap on the wrist

According to news reports, the victim was sexually assaulted by two juvenile boys she knew in August 2011. She had been drinking at a gathering and passed out. Months later she learned that the boys took pictures of the rape and had shared them with their friends.

To add insult to injury, the defense and prosecution worked out a plea bargain without the knowledge or consent of the victim and her parents. They are outraged because they believe her rapists will only get a slap on the wrist.

KENTUCKY TEENAGER COULD FACE JAILTIME FOR TWEETS OUTING BOYS WHO SEXUALLY ASSAULTED HER
Seventeen-year-old Savannah Dietrich tweeted names of two juvenile offenders, and was charged with contempt

By Faine Greenwood

globalpost
July 21, 2012

A Kentucky teenager faces contempt court charges for Tweeting the names of the two teens who pled guilty to sexually assaulting her, reported the Louisville Courier Journal today, in a case that inspires questions about the uses of social media in the legal system.

Seventeen-year-old Savanna Dietrich, tweeted the names of the boys in response to the frustration she felt over her attackers plea bargain. Now, Dietrich could face an $500 dollar fine and up to $180 days in jail for the act if she is found guilty of being in contempt of the court.

Her contempt hearing is scheduled for July 30th.

According to Dietrich, the sexual assault occurred when she passed out at a party last year. Her attackers then molested her, and they also allegedly videotaped the incident and shared it with their friends online.

After Dietrich visited Louisville, Kentucky police with her parents, the juvenile defendants were charged with first-degree sexual abuse and misdemeanor voyeurism, reports the Courier Journal.

But Dietrich says she was extremely unhappy with the "slap on the wrist" plea bargain her attackers were given. Enraged, she took to her Twitter account, says the Courier Journal, determined to publicly expose the boys for their act.

“They said I can’t talk about it or I’ll be locked up,” one of her Tweets read. "So I’m waiting for them to read this and lock me up. ____ justice.

“Protect rapist is more important than getting justice for the victim in Louisville.”

She reiterated in a Courier Journal interview that she was fully prepared to pay the price for her actions.

“I’m at the point, that if I have to go to jail for my rights, I will do it,” Dietrich told the Louisville paper. “If they really feel it’s necessary to throw me in jail for talking about what happened to me ... as opposed to throwing these boys in jail for what they did to me, then I don’t understand justice.”

The courtroom repercussions of Twitter use have made the news before: in April, a New York judge ruled that prosecutors do not need to obtain a warrant to subpoena citizens Twitter accounts, reported Mashable.com.

3 comments:

bob walsh said...

I would hope the judge would let this go. I would not be on it.

Anonymous said...

The judge did indeed let it go. Bill O'Reiley had a segment on it tonight.

_________
centurion

bob walsh said...

Now all we need is for the feds to prosecute the assholes for distribution of child pornography. That would set the little bastards on their asses.