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A female Hofstra student accused five men of gang-raping her. They were promptly arrested. She then admitted that she made the whole thing up. And now, the DA can’t figure out whether or not he should charge her.
Yes, really:
The student who alleged she was gang raped by five men inside a Hofstra University dormitory bathroom on Sunday has admitted to making the entire story up, the Nassau County District Attorney’s office confirmed on Wednesday night.
Charges against the four men arrested have since been dropped.
Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice issued the following statement on Wednesday evening:
Moments ago my office moved to dismiss all charges against four men accused of committing a sexual assault on the campus of Hofstra University.
Late this evening, during the continuation of the Nassau County Police Department’s investigation of the allegation, and under questioning by my office’s chief trial attorney and chief sex crimes prosecutor, the alleged victim of the sexual assault admitted that the encounter that took place early Sunday morning was consensual.
Following the interview, my office moved quickly to appear before a night court judge to dismiss all charges and request that the judge order the individuals’ immediate release.
Nassau County Judge Robert Bruno dismissed the charges and ordered their release. I have launched an immediate criminal investigation into the statements and reports given by the woman in connection with this incident. Further details regarding this investigation will be released at a later time.
The four men, Hofstra student Rondell Bedward, 21, Stalin Felipe, 19, and Jesus L. Ortiz, 19, all of the Bronx; and Kevin R. Taveras, 20, of Brentwood, had been charged with five counts of first-degree rape.
They told CBS 2 HD’s Kathryn Brown on Wednesday night they were happy to be released after spending three nights in jail, but did not offer opinions on the accuser. They said they did not know the accuser and had no idea why she would make up such accusations.
Felipe said he’s just relieved the entire ordeal is over.
“I’m actually very happy that the truth finally came out,” Felipe said. “I’m blessed. My family is here right now to pick us up and I’d just like to thank everybody for your support out there. The truth is finally out.
“I prayed to God on the inside that everything would work out. I actually thought everything was going to go down bad. It feels so horrible when you are innocent and then you are going down like you are guilty.
When asked if he had any reaction to the fact that the woman lied about the incident, Felipe took the high road.
“Basically I have no hard feelings toward her. I don’t know why she did it. I don’t know her so I don’t want to say anything bad about her,” Felipe said. “I grew up in an all-women household. I have sisters. All my women are aunts. I respect women. I would never disrespect women, so being accused of that hurt me and my brother, you know? I’m just happy that everything is finally out in the open and we get to go home.”
As of late Wednesday night, the district attorney had not decided whether to press charges against the woman. A press conference will be held Thursday morning.
Police on Long Island had been searching for a fifth man said to be involved in the rape, but that has also been called off.
The shocking announcement undoubtedly will ease tensions at Hofstra, where students told CBS 2 HD on Wednesday they were somewhat fearful and had taken notice of heightened security measures enacted by the school.
So this is where we are today. A woman can accuse a man, any man, of rape without having any evidence whatsoever, and those men will be promptly arrested. If the accuser had not admitted that she made it up, these men would undoubtedly been prosecuted and sent to prison for a long, long time and seen their lives literally destroyed. Taxpayer dollars were wasted in this investigation as well. And when the hoaxter does come clean that she made it all up, the DA can’t figure out whether or not she should press charges??
I can’t help but thinking we should be giving a big, hearty thank you (or perhaps a f*** you) to modern feminism and the men who caved to it for this. Don’t misread me here — as I have stated over and over again, true feminism has never been the problem. The feminists who wanted nothing more than equality for both sexes are heroes to me. Modern day feminists, however, want nothing to do with equality. They’re concerned with abortion, with keeping men inferior and women superior, and inventing manufactured outrage over imagined “sexism” and harassment everywhere they go. It’s gotten to be where, thanks to these paranoid modern feminists, all a woman has to do is feel even a little threatened or uncomfortable, and she can claim a man has sexually harassed her in some way, even if he didn’t say or do anything to her.
If someone is accused of rape, then of course police should do everything they can to investigate and find out the truth. If a man is found to be guilty of rape, then he should have the book thrown at him, because there are few crimes more despicable than rape. If a woman is found to be making it up, though, then she should likewise have the book thrown at her, just like this Hofstra student. She could have destroyed the lives of those four men. And the DA can’t decide whether or not she should be prosecuted? Last I checked, filing a false police report is a crime — so, Ms. Rice, file the charges.
Men have rights too, no matter what Jessica Valenti or Amanda Marcotte might think.
Hat Tip: Dr. Helen
Mark says: What this girl did was criminal. Her boyfriend should share some of the blame for egging her on. But I’m sure the lawyers for those 4 young men are working on an angle to blame the state for this and to seek monetary damages.
Bob says: The media should also immediately stop shielding her identity. They had no qualms about plastering the photos, names, ages, and hometowns of the men that were falsely accused but they’re still hiding her name, citing ‘rape shield policies.’ But no rape occurred and this woman should no longer be protected by the media. Disgusting double standards, indeed.
Even worse are the bloggers that are still painting these guys as guilty. “Well, they must have done *something*..”
Naturally, the drooling brood at Feministing is all over this: http://www.feministing.com/archives/017809.html .. and comments are blaming.. Bush? Also they’re saying that no, she shouldn’t be prosecuted or charged because that would make women less likely to report rapes. *eyeroll* They’re trying to defend this false accuser, who made up rape allegations to cover up the fact that she cheated on her boyfriend.
“She had also been dancing so diminished responsibility from alcohol may have meant that she was less able to consent…and again, the guys would know this.”
Gah. I can’t even believe people like that…
Bob says: Wow, the Feministing loons are more unhinged than I thought.. “This is the Bernard Goetz defense. This is frightening. For those too young to know, Bernard Goetz was a NY subway rider who shot & nearly killed 4 black men in 1984 after they asked him for change. He said they were intimidating…and were going to mug him.”
Uh, no, Goetz was actually in the process of being mugged. The thugs that he shot were career criminals already and were carrying screwdrivers. They say they were allegedly to break into video games, but they’re also a common stabbing tool.
JohnMc says: This case is but the tip of the iceberg. Domestic Violence charges are filed against men every day. Some valid, many not. Fact it is quite common in a acrimonious divorce that DV charges are brought against the husband so as to rattle him. Many police departments have the presumption that in any DV situation the man is assumed to be the aggressor. Yet studies are showing that in about a third or more cases the woman initiated the incident. It does not matter its the guys fault!
Making up a story about rape is a horrible crime – one perpetrated not only against those accused of rape, but against every single woman who has been or will be sexually assaulted. Women already have enough trouble actually getting a conviction (the arrest part, as Cassy noted, is easy; the conviction, according to the prosecutors I know, is virtually impossible); this just makes it worse. Because of this whore, dozens or even hundreds of women will have a tougher time proving their legitimate cases. Because of this whore, dozens or hundreds of rapists will go free and be able to assault even more women.
Even though I have little to no sympathy for a lot of men who worry about sleeping with a girl and having her cry rape (obvious solution: don’t be a male slut), this is just appalling.
CaptDMO says: Something or other about “crying wolf”, or shouting “FIRE” in a crowded theater, when in fact, there is NO SUCH THREAT. All just for the amusement, or other inexplicable personal satisfaction of the
perpetrator.
Did the nice “feminist” apologists comment contributors and/or authors actually cite, and defend, “diminished responsibility”? I’ve heard of “diminished capacity” used as a morning after regret ploy to absolve a perpetrator of
consequences for their behavior at the expense of someone else, ANYONE else.
Am I to ASSUME that “diminished responsability” was a Freudian slip, meant to be a continuing positive defense in reverse coyote ugly(sic) debacles?
Roxeanne (and Cassy),
I’ve heard several things about this case. One was that the guys did meet up with this girl in a bar, and another which said they didn’t even know her. When Fox was interviewing one of the guys, it seemed that at least that one did know her (but wasn’t really substantive).
My guess is that it lies somewhere between the two (as goofy as it sounds). The fact is that guys need to be really careful about who they meet these days (whether they actuall do so is another story). I’ll still stick with my original argument way back when that most guys should be extremely selective about the female company they keep (and no, I do not have any sympathy for guys hanging out in bars either).
BobV says: I went over to feministing, and guess what their major concern turned out to be? Falsely accusing these men and destroying their lives? Nope. The inequality when it comes to rape laws (men being assumed guilty, women assumed right)? Hell no. The injustice of all this?
No, they’re concerned about the “rape culture” that apparently “rewards” rape (I bet these guys are curious about exactly what rewards they’ve seen for this).
Woman gets raped, it’s the fault of all men everywhere. Woman lies about getting raped, it’s the fault of all men everywhere. Yep, that’s equality for you.
http://www.feministing.com/archives/017809.html#comments
The fact is that guys need to be really careful about who they meet these days (whether they actuall do so is another story). I’ll still stick with my original argument way back when that most guys should be extremely selective about the female company they keep (and no, I do not have any sympathy for guys hanging out in bars either).
Mat – yeah, that’s basic common sense. Basic common sense for men: don’t sleep with random women (laying down with dogs and getting up with fleas and all). Basic common sense for women: don’t put yourself in those situations (playing with fire and all).
On a side note, I’m amused to see the so-called “feminists” take the stance that a woman’s enthusiastic consent to sex was coerced, somehow. Seems awfully infantalising and dismissive of women’s sexuality…. 😉
Roxeanne,
“Mat – yeah, that’s basic common sense. Basic common sense for men: don’t sleep with random women (laying down with dogs and getting up with fleas and all). Basic common sense for women: don’t put yourself in those situations (playing with fire and all).”
However, it seems that this is a case of gender reversal. Way back when, it was considered “manly” (and in some circles, unfortunately still is) to sleep around with several different women. They were “studs”. Women who did likewise were shunned in society and considered “sluts”.
I’m certainly not condoning this behavior, but it was the case. Did we learn from this clear example of hypocrisy?
Enter the present day. Women are now encouraged to sleep around with as many guys as they can (think feminist sexual revolution). It’s so prevalent now that most people don’t even realize it. Women are the new “studs” (think cougars). In many cases (though not all), guys still do this as well, but there’s a new stigma. When guys do it, the rape accusation can be called down on them at a whim. So guys can still sleep around, just like women, but for them there’s an extra risk involved (an indescribable shunning, if you will). If women just happen to feel like it (it doesn’t necessarily have to be a logical decision and often isn’t), they can just say “um, yeah, I was raped.” Now, my response to this is that if a guy is going to do this, then it’s his own damn fault for putting himself in this position (something I repeating from my previous post).
But in some ways, this way of thinking has expanded into relationships. How many women have been in the news and treated like heroes because they dumped their husbands to follow their “dreams” (think handicapped woman who recently sailed across the Atlantic or something like that), suddenly decide that they’re actually lesbians (“it’s been fun, bye!”) or just tell their friends that this is their “practice marriage?” And what are the female responses to these news articles? “You go Grrrl! Whoo hoo!” Yeah, with a situation like that, staying home and playing computer strategy games all night seems like a better and better option all the time. Now men still the same sexual nonsense as well, but the societal reaction is much more vicious. My argument is that we should condemn it whenever it occurs, not create gender favorable circumstances.
I’ll try to make it clearer. During the Monica Lewinsky scandal, the “feminists” totally rallied behind him. Their claim is that he was a fellow liberal under attack by the evil, big meany conservatives. But I think there was something much more sinister involved here. The “feminists” truly desire to flip the gender roles. Bill Clinton is pretty despicable, and I heavily suspect that deep down, the “feminists” would agree with me on this point. However, whereas I think that he (and certainly other men who behave likewise) is a low life, the “feminists” believe that all men are scum and need to be tightly controlled (or just used when the situation calls for it). They expect Bill Clinton to act that way because he conforms to their worldview that all men are like that.
The fact is that the feminists want (indeed secretly root for) men to do the sort of thing Cassy wrote about because it just gives them more momentum to keep pushing for gender role reversal. In their opinion, the only way all this will stop is when women have total control of society and men have been reduced to simple drooling sexual playthings (which amazingly, they’re in the process of becoming now, of their own volition).
Now, do all women think like that? Nope. Is it even a majority? Hard to tell. It certainly looks like a substantial minority. And these radical feminists are still teaching the younger generations to think the same way. And the beat goes on. But hey, at least the Republicans may pick up some Congressional seats next year.
This girl should face the exact same jail time as the guys. Here is a local story of almost the same thing.
Local prosecutor Jody Vaughan is currently pursuing false rape charges against a local man. Her tactics are less than ethical and has built “evidence” she knows to be based on lies.The evidence against the alleged “victim”, proving SHE is a repeat liar and crier of wolf is incredible and hard to overlook; unfortunately that is exactly what the District Attorney’s office is doing. They dont care about anything thing except making themselfs look good.
As a woman, a mother and a victim of rape and sexual assault, it is extremely important to me for a woman to feel safe to report sexual abuse of any kind. I know firsthand the personal power that is regained when looking an offender in the eye and sending them to prison. Regrettably I have also learned that it is far too common for women to hide behind the claim of rape in order to avoid taking personal responsibility for their own actions. The classic he said she said is almost always swayed to the woman’s side, requiring little proof on her end of the alleged events; leaving the accused to fight for their life with little help due to the Rape Shield Law. My concern is that Kevin is not going to receive a fair trial due to the protections this “victim” has on behalf of the DA’s office. This isn’t the first time she has cried rape falsely and without your help it certainly will not be her last. Please, take the time to follow the link and read the story of Kevin Driscoll. (http://usobserver.com/archive/sept-09/driscoll-september.htm ) The time is now for something to be done, before another innocent life is ruined.
I just wanted to take a moment to sit down to state the fact I have been reading these blogs. I Probably will sit down to think ALL women are evil in society. I do not and will not want no part of being involved with a woman in a relationship. This is because of the cry rape thing. I am a nicest man you will ever know. I uphold the laws of the land along with the bible codes. I do treat women like precious jewels. Until one day, I almost gotten arrested for false report.
Luckily she recanted stating that she felt bad for trying to ruin my life. However, after this, I have became a bachelor for almost 10 years. I have nothing to do with women because of the false reporting. When I see a woman approach me. I walk the other way. When I see a woman with kids who are single mothers, I think of them as evil beings using their skills to manipulate men. I have been mugged, robbed, and even had a woman STICK her hand into my wallet to steal the last dollar I had to drink on. I could not do anything because she was threatening to cry rape on me. I never have done anything to her. I was left in a town afar away with no way back home or any assistance.
I felt hollow and empty. I will never trust a woman again. Not even a good one. I fear that she will turn into a vicious beast. The case here that is being described, I do not and will not want to be friends with a female period.
I have seen damages done to my friends when they were married. One day before marriage. My friends and I joked and laughed along with cutting up. After the marriage, my friends are manic depressive and will refuse to even be around where I am or even want to joke around. This is because of the fact that they gotten divorced or women slept around on them. It has been proven that women commit 60% of the infidelity. That is the most dangerous temptation ever on a relationship. By doing this, two lives are ruined. 1. Husbands, 2, the unborn child.
I refuse to even want to date a woman because of the fear of the cry wolf or cry rape.
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