Unconcious means no

April 8, 2013
Filed under Op-Ed

by EMILY SZPAK
Staff Writer

Two boys from Steubenville Ohio were charged with raping an unconscious girl at a party in late August. Trent Mays, 17, and Ma’lik Richmond, 16, were convicted of digital penetration and will be held in juvenile detention until they are 21, as well as registering as sex offenders.

Despite the media profile, the town has tried to keep the crime out of the spotlight so they do not look bad.

“The rape was just an excuse, I think,” said football coach, Nate Hubbard, who had accused the teen of making the entire thing up as an excuse for a night of partying. “She had to make something up. Now people are trying to blow up our football program because of it,” said Hubbard.

The town would not want any of their precious football heroes to be accused of any wrongdoing, jeopardizing their shot at the state championships.

Everyone seems to be very skeptical over what happened that night, but the boys who were involved seemed to have no problem putting the highlights of the night up on social networking sites.

One of the young men tweeted, “Song of the night is definitely ‘Rape Me’ by Nirvana.”

Another boy tweeted, “I have no sympathy for whores.”

There was also video footage released by hackers affiliated with the “anonymous” collective of the night, which features Michael Nodianos glorifying the gang rape. He and his friends made a joke and laughed together about the unconscious girl being raped.

When asked if the girl could feel it, Nodianos responded, “No, she’s dead!”

Nodianos then continued comparing the girl to other people, saying she’s deader than “OJ Simpson’s wife” and “Caylee Anthony.” He justified his assumptions by saying she was also urinated on in the streets. Then Nodianos continued to refer to her as “the dead girl” and described her as “so raped.”

An Instagram picture was taken of the girl being carried out of the party by her arms and legs. According to prosecutors, “the dead girl” was intoxicated, but knew exactly what she was doing and was willing to participate in the activities.

“It’s disgusting that people think it’s okay to post things like that on the Internet, let alone do them in the first place,” says sophomore Nicole Cohen.

There were three other boys who witnessed the events, but failed to report anything. Instead, two boys decided to film and photograph the events.

However, the boys are not being brought up on charges. The Ohio attorney general’s office informed the boys that even though the actions were not responsible, they “did not reach a level of criminal conduct.”

“Anyone who didn’t try to stop that should be fined. It’s just plain immoral,” says sophomore Kirstin Pasewaldt.

It baffles me that the case is unfolding the way it is. If the town does not want to cause any trouble and bring attention, perhaps they should have taught their young men not to be rapists. Also, it is very frustrating that the boys who witnessed the crime are not being brought up on charges.

Nodianos was revealed in his video where he joked about the rape, and he is not being arrested because he did not have “a first-hand account.” It is disgusting that this boy still continues to live freely. Last time I checked, it is a law to report a crime, and if you do not, you are charged as an accessory.

The boys who raped the young girl should be put away for the rest of their lives. The boys who witnessed and laughed about it, posting horrid things on the Internet, in my opinion, are just as wrong as the rapists themselves. Their lack of regret and remorse for the situation is appalling. Alcohol does not cause rape, rapists cause rape.