Jezebel: “Media Blows It With Pathetic Gang Rape Coverage”

In Cleveland, Texas, 18 young men and boys have been charged with participating in the gang rape of an 11-year-old girl in an abandoned trailer home. As if the event weren’t awful enough, the papers reporting the incident aren’t exactly being, oh, say, fair in their reportage.

In December, police learned of the assault when an elementary school student told a teacher about a cellphone video featuring one of her classmates. Authorities say that on November 28, the girl was offered a ride by a 19-year-old who took her to his house, then ordered her to take her clothes off, saying she’s be beaten if she didn’t. She was raped by several men and boys, then moved to the trailer where more assaults occurred as the attackers took cellphone videos and photographs.

The New York Times published a story today about how the case has torn apart the town, and the paper chooses to focus on the plight of the accused men. The author says the town is wondering “how could their young men have been drawn into such an act?” as if they were tricked into gang raping a child. Then there’s this quote:

Finish reading the article here.

Further updates and The Times responds here.

I don’t really have time for much personal comment, but FUCK, this is so devastating for so many reasons.