11-Year Old Texas Girl Gang-Raped By 18+ Men & Boys. Community Expresses Concerns For... Her Rapists!

Rape is a Crime of Violence.  {Period.}

Regardless of Appearance/Manner of Dress - No One "Asks for it" or "Deserves it".  {Period.}

And yet, despite this - somehow - the practice of victim-blaming continues... even in respected media outlets... even when the rape victims are children.

In a Just World, during the trials of rapists, details on such minutiae as: the victim's make-up application/style of dress; the kind of shoes worn; and discussing whether the rape victim had been drinking/was intoxicated would all be considered Inadmissible in the courtroom.

Why? 

Because such details and others like them are Irrelevant.  Period.

Why?

(Please refer to the first line of this Blog.)

Last November in Cleveland, Texas, an 11-yr. old girl was brutally gang-raped in a trash-filled and abandoned trailer by at least 18 men & boys - several of whom felt the grueling assault was a significant enough event as to be worth recording - so they filmed it on their cell-phones and later showed the films to friends of theirs.

(That's Strange... I suddenly feel an inexplicable urge to gather a tool-kit - just like the one Dexter Morgan uses for his extra-curricular activities - and take a trip to Texas. I say "Inexplicable", because I've never had any urge to/interest in going to Texas before.)

The details of the heinous crime are bad enough... Yet, that's not the end of the story.

Also Bad (very bad): Many of Cleveland,Texas' residents made statements which indicated that their primary concern was in regards to the possible long-term negative effects the upcoming trials and likely convictions would have on...

(I kid you not) the rapists.

Making A Bad Bad Situation Significantly Worse: Both the Houston Chronicle newspaper and the Houston Bureau Chief of the New York Times, James C. McKinley Jr., proceeded to sink so low - as in "Fox News" low - as to be compelled to go beyond simply reporting the facts: They made a point to heartily stoke the already-smoldering fires of the practice "victim-blaming" by printing several statements made by various members of the community - all of whom indicated that they were placing the blame for the 18-man gang-rape on either: A.) the 11-yr. old victim or B.) the victim's Mother (As in the outraged, "Where was her Mother?!" and "What kind of Mother lets her 11-year old child wander around like that?".  To which I would respond with an opposing - and more pertinent question... like: "What kind of Mother doesn't teach her sons not to rape?")

In the 21st Century, such misplaced sympathy, ludicrous questions & callous insensitivity - dare I say misogyny - and an utterly indefensible refusal to hold men responsible & accountable for brutally and forcibly violating other human beings is not just beyond Disgusting... It is beyond Comprehension.

To offer you the best means to decide for yourself via various perspectives on this stunning story...

Here's the initial Ms. Magazine article which caught my eye and from which I gleaned the links to the New York Times And Houston Chronicle articles (found below):

Did The New York Times Blame the 11-Year-Old Victim of a Texas Gang Rape?  (Ms.Magazine)

Vicious Assault Shakes Texas Town  (New York Times - Houston Bureau)

Girl's sex assault rocks Cleveland  (Houston Chronicle)

I hope the young girl - who is in a new school (in Gifted classes) and has, since the attack, been placed into foster care because local authorities are concerned for her safety - and her Mother, sisters and brother (who have also had to move to another town out of the same concern for their safety) - continue to heal, receive all the support they needs and that they are able to enjoy safe, happy and fulfilling lives.

As for the 18-20+ men and boys who threatened, kidnapped, gang-raped, taped the rapes and then did a show-and-tell with the videos as well as uploading them onto the internet AND have threatened her and her family since the arrests began...  I'll simply say this, "May each and every one of you receive all that you deserve - and may it be a good lesson to you."

Peace.

 L.

*Thanks to One Million Pissed Off Women for bringing this story to my attention!