Rape case at Duke dropped.

[Stopanimalabuse]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6665723
One person here criticized me for saying this would happen, but I guess when you change your story around, people don't believe you after a while. Does this mean they're guilty of perjury?

[BrokenHalo]

So far only the rape charges have been dropped.Unless she swore to this under oath it's not perjury, though.

While I deeply sympathize with anyone who has had something like this happen to them, and her career choice alone should never be seen as basis for whether or not she's telling the truth, her story has changed far too much and far too many times for her credibility to be the entire basis of the case. There's no collaborating witness and no DNA evidence, so there's pretty much no choice but to drop it. I'm honestly not sure why the other charges have not been dropped (unless I'm wrong and it's been disproven, one of the accused players has an alibi that places him elsewhere at the time of the alleged incident). It's possible that she was attacked as she said (but the rape is not provable), it's possible that she was attacked but she's identified the wrong person or people, it's possible that she's out-and-out-lying. Nobody knows what happened except her (and if someone hurt her, they know...).

Pretty much unless they can prove that nothing happened or she admits she made it up, there won't likely be charges against her--it could be she was so distraught she mistakenly is accusing the wrong people, or is confused to exactly what happened. It's actually pretty common for victims to be confused after trauma (if indeed it happened...). IF she admits that she made it up, on the other hand, they could and should charge her with making a false report.

[Annoyedlistner]

these guys are innocent....the govt really needs to look into the Prosecuter on this one.

[db44]

Define innocent. They are not guilty of rape and I would guess considering the reputation of the accuser with the changing story and such that there's a good chance they are not guilty of the other charges. I certainly wouldn't call them innocent though: A team party where the whole team was there (and they have players from all classes on the team) with alcohol and strippers? And how many of the kids do you suspect are on lacrosse scholarships? Do you want to say this is how college kids act? Some maybe, but it's also on the school's bill with scolarship kids involved. These kids should lose their scholarship for being part of the party, regardless of the outcome of the trial. Or at least be on heavy probation.

There something more to this whole story, and I don't know if we'll ever get it. The way Duke over reacted (I've never seen a team, collegate or professional act this quickly to something unproven) and from the protests and stuff from the first moment and even when questions arose about the validity of the charges. I think Nifong and the school acted the way they did because there's something not right with the program in the first place.

[SparkleHugs]

refresh my memory....what are the other charges??

[db44]

Kidnapping and sexual assault.

[SparkleHugs]

I think its as offensive to a man to accuse him of rape as it is for a woman to be raped. Since she lied about that I cant help but think she probably lied about the other things as well.

[DoubleEdgeSword]

Ehh.. I'll let the courts sort it out. Yeah, it's not a perfect system but for the most part it works.

[Stopanimalabuse]

So far only the rape charges have been dropped.Unless she swore to this under oath it's not perjury, though.
I thought it's mandatory that a person swears under oath.

[db44]

In trial. This wasn't at trial when she made the claims.

[SparkleHugs]

Ehh.. I'll let the courts sort it out. Yeah, it's not a perfect system but for the most part it works.

I completely agree. I assume they will be dropped, but if they aren't I trust there is a valid reason for it.