What's Wrong With The World?
by Cari Crosby

It’s pretty easy to become numb to the horror stories we hear and read in the news every day. There are all sorts of stories that are just too hard to take if you sit down and really think about what had happened. But sometimes, one sneaks through.  It gets past your layers of tough skin, and just…hurts.  You can’t help it. It’s too much to handle.

Today, I stumbled upon news story about a girl getting raped in Ohio. At first, it didn’t seem like an out-of the ordinary story, which alone says a lot. As if a rape wasn’t a horrific enough of a crime, it turns out she was only 16 years old, and was gang raped while at school. She was forced to perform oral sex in her school auditorium on at least 4 different boys in front of dozens of students (apparently this was her punishment for going to public school while mentally challenged). Not one student stepped in to help. Not one found a school administrator to stop the sickening offense. They all just sat there, and watched.

I can’t even begin to think what could have been going through the spectator’s minds, let alone that of the assaulters. Where those watching enjoying what they were seeing? Or were they too, simply too shocked and numbed to do anything?

And to top it all off, when school officials found her, bleeding from the mouth – they didn’t bother to call the police. They even advised her father to not bother, as it would bring media attention to the case, and would “cause more trouble for her in the end.” So apparently by their reasoning it made the most sense to simply pretend that it had never happened. Sure, suspend the assaulters for a few days – a punishment also given for things like chewing gum in class repeatedly or swearing. To them, this rape was no worse. Or at least that’s what they were telling the victim and her father.

This story makes me angry, but more than anything, it just makes me want to cry. How does this happen? There were not just the four boys who raped her at fault, but dozens – DOZENS – of spectators WATCHING the crime take place.

Educational institutions are supposed to be a place where you feel safe.  A place where teachers and administrators rally with the victims, not the perpetrators.   Something has clearly gone very wrong at this school in Ohio, and I hope that other schools will not allow themselves to become a safe haven for rapists.

And for what it’s worth, the principal of that school has been fired.

For those interested, the news story is here.

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