What's going on with this Duke rape allegation.

[saraphen]

(03/25/06 - DURHAM) - A dancer who reported that she was raped by members of the Duke University lacrosse team said she thought she would be dancing for five men at a bachelor party, but she and another women were surrounded by dozens.

Men shouted racial slurs at the women, both black, she said Friday in an interview with The News & Observer of Raleigh.

"We started to cry," she said. "We were so scared."

No arrests had been made by late Friday after 46 members of the men's team submitted DNA samples to police.

"We're asking someone from the lacrosse team to step forward," Durham police Cpl. David Addison said. "We will be relentless in finding out who committed this crime."

The woman said the assault took place in the early hours of March 14 near Duke's East Campus. She had worked for an escort service to help support her two children and pay for classes at N.C. Central University and the night she was attacked was the first time she had been hired to dance for a group.

A neighbor on the street next to the house said there have been rowdy parties in the past. Duke bought 15 houses in February to deal with neighborhood complaints about rude student behavior in a plan to sell the dwellings to people who won't rent them.

Police records show officers have been called to the house where the alleged rape occurred four times since September.

The neighbor, Jason Bissey, said he should have called police when he first noticed something was wrong. He said he saw at least 30 men enter the home, which Duke officials said is rented by three lacrosse team captains.

Bissey said he heard one of the men yell racial comments at the victim.

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?se...gle&id=4020918

Another report said that all the members of the lacrosse team had to submit to DNA testing, except for one....the single black member of the team. The victim identified her attackers as being white.

[goodcookinmama]

their up the creek now dumb *** fools
and dana dont lie aka DNA

[urfan2c]

I feel sorry for those women, I hope they get the culprits.

[MadameX]

Originally Posted by blackvoter

You know I feel sorry for women who do that type of work to try to get ahead if in fact that is what she was doing. But from what I know about escort services, they are basically prostitutes.

Thank you Brotha BV for bringing up that point. Essentially, you point is valid. The women was nothing more than a high class hoer with arranged Johns and either way you look at it it's a risky buisness. I was waiting for somebody to be realistic and bring this point up.

[saraphen]

Duke University officials decided Saturday to forfeit two men's lacrosse games because of the team's conduct at a party earlier this month at which a woman says she was raped.

The action allayed some criticism of the university for allowing the team to continue to play, despite a police investigation into whether three teammates raped and sodomized an exotic dancer at the party, held in a house rented by three of the team's captains.

Director of Athletics Joe Alleva said he was "dismayed" by the party, held March 13 at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd., next to the Duke campus.

Alleva said that although players deny the woman was sexually assaulted, several have acknowledged hiring women from an escort service to dance at the party and that alcohol was served to underage team members.

"The judgment of the team members to host and participate in this event is inconsistent with the values of Duke Athletics and Duke University and is unacceptable," Alleva said in the statement, posted on the university's Web site.

Late Saturday, Duke President Richard H. Brodhead promised "very serious penalties" if the charges are verified and added that "the facts are not yet established.

"Physical coercion and sexual assault are unacceptable in any setting and have no place at Duke," Brodhead said in a statement.

http://www.newsobserver.com/742/story/422217.html

[saraphen]

Protesters Demand Answers In Alleged Gang Rape At Duke

DURHAM, N.C. -- Starting on Monday, it's Sexual Assault Prevention Week at Duke University. The news comes on the heels of a gang rape investigation involving Duke University's men's lacrosse team.

No one has been charged, and no one on the team is talking, but neighbors are now breaking the silence. The beat of outrage was heard loud and clear in Durham on Sunday.

“We're making this kind of noise because we're standing in solidarity with women who've gone through this horrible atrocity,” said protest organizer Manju Rajendran.

Police say something horrible happened at a nearby house. Some Duke lacrosse players reportedly hired two exotic dancers from an escort service to dance at a house party earlier in March. One of the women says three men raped, strangled and robbed her.

“I'm enraged and disgusted and embarrassed that something like this has happened,” said Duke grad student Leigh Campoamor.

No one has been charged, but police collected DNA samples from 46 Duke lacrosse players. Now protesters say it’s time to come together and demand the truth from the men who were at the home.

“They haven't been convicted, but 30-something kids are remaining silent,” said Duke student Jack Bury.

So the group is breaking that silence, with instruments of percussion serving as instruments of change. The banging of pots and pans is a practice that started in Latin America and spread to other countries. They're the tools women have in their kitchens, and they're what they use when they want to make some noise protesting domestic violence.

~~~~

The lacrosse team was forced to forfeit two games because of the controversy. Fans showed up for Saturday's game and found out it was forfeited, along with Tuesday's match. They were also greeted by protestors, carrying signs that said "Don't be a fan of rapists".

Duke Director of Athletics Joe Alleva said that while the players deny the rape allegations, they concede there was a party with underage drinking. He called the team's judgement inconsistent with Duke values and unacceptable, so he forfeited the two games as punishment.

Duke President Richard Broadhead released his first statement on the situation late Saturday. He urged complete cooperation with police, and said if the accusations are proven true, they will warrant very serious penalties. He added that many members of the lacrosse team, including some who were asked to provide DNA samples, did not actually attend the party.

Broadhead said that no matter what the criminal investigation finds, "It is already clear that many students acted in a manner inappropriate to a Duke team member" in participating in the March 13 party.

The lacrosse team's roster is now missing from the Duke athletics Web site. On the team's Web site instead is a statement from Duke President Richard Broadhead on the gang rape allegations and police investigation.

The team's roster was removed over the weekend. It included information on the players and their pictures.

http://www.wral.com/news/8276066/det...=ral&psp=news#

Even if the lacrossed team isn't acting like this is a serious allegation, everybody else on campus certainly does.

[MrAtlanta]

To me, it dosen't matter if these women are strippers, escorts or whatever. That doesn't give anyone the right to treat them like that.

If the Duke Basketball team were accused of this, there probably would be fewer questions asked, and probably fewer questions asked of the victims, unfortunately.

[GLC 3]

It should not matter that they were strippers but let's face it, their line of "work" put them at more risk than normal. We need to teach our young girls and women that they are more than T&A and that selling your body will only get you so far or into sad situations like these.

I heard on ESPN last night that the woman in question was a student at a nearby university, so I assume her exotic dancing is to put her through school. But again it's an assumption. Either way, I agree that there is no excuse for any woman having to go through such a situation, no matter her "profession" or character. Rape is something I wouldn't wish on anyone.

[MadameX]

Originally Posted by GLC 3

It should not matter that they were strippers but let's face it, their line of "work" put them at more risk than normal. .

Typically, when these women are at the club slidding the pole, they have body guards. They needs to bring body guards with them when they do gigs are mens houses.