15 yr. old Gang Raped During Homecoming Dance in Richmond, CA

[hipmama]

This sickens me!! I can't believe so many people participated, watched, and did nothing to help her. Breaks my heart...


$20,000 reward offered for help in Richmond High rape case

By Karl Fisher, Shelly Meron and Wire Reports
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 10/27/2009 11:26:46 AM PDT
Updated: 10/27/2009 12:59:18 PM PDT

Police offered a $20,000 reward today for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone who participated in the gang-rape of a 15-year-old girl during Richmond High's homecoming dance, even as detectives put the squeeze on dozens of potential witnesses.

"This is a fluid investigation," Detective Ken Greco said around noon. "There will be more arrests."
Greco and colleagues have interviewed many teens and young adults since the Saturday-night assault, during which a group of boys and men beat, robbed and repeatedly raped the student in a secluded campus courtyard, as the dance continued in the gym.
Police leafleted the neighborhoods around the school Tuesday afternoon, promising confidentiality
and offering telephone numbers for the primary investigators.
The victim remained hospitalized Tuesday in stable condition. This newspaper does not identify victims of sexual assault.
Detectives pulled two Richmond High students out of class Monday afternoon for questioning and arrested one on suspicion of rape. Police also arrested 19-year-old Manuel Ortega on suspicion of rape and robbery Saturday night. They say they caught him fleeing from the crime scene as officers arrived to break it up.

The victim left the dance by herself about 9:30 p.m. to get a ride home, Greco said. She walked up 23rd Street toward Emeric Avenue, intending to phone her father for her ride.
But before she did, a classmate called to her from behind a cyclone fence separating a campus courtyard from the street. He hopped the fence, and together they returned to the shadowy, hidden spot, where a group of people were drinking and hanging out.

The victim drank a large amount of brandy quickly, police say, and was quickly incapacitated. While semiconscious, she fell victim to rape. As many as seven people assaulted her as she lay on a bench, while others jeered and took photos with their cell phones. Police say they don't know exactly how many people watched during the course of the attack, but some reports have said as many 20.
The assaults continued for about two hours, until word of the ongoing campus rape reached a former Richmond High student who lives a few blocks from school. She immediately phoned police.

Rona Renner, host of the Childhood Matters radio show on 98.1 KISS FM who worked at Kaiser Richmond for 14 years as an advice nurse and taught parenting classes at Richmond High, wonders how communities can come together to help desensitize students when they live in a violent society.
"Where are the resources for people to come in to the school?" she said. "Mental help resources, support systems — all the things that are being cut are the
things that communities need so something like this won't happen again.
"Our youth in Richmond need places where they can play ball, learn skills, do art, and have adult mentors," Renner said. "They need adults in their life who are teaching them to be compassionate and empathetic, and hopeful. They need adults who respect them and therefore teach respect. Quite a big task. And the schools can't cut costs when it comes to safety."


Source Links
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news...646?source=rss

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...B71L.DTL&tsp=1

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/27/...ion/index.html

[hipmama]

My daughter and I saw this on the news and I cried and hugged her. I can't stop thinking about it. My daughter has her first high school homecoming festivities this Friday and I am terrified. I keep thinking about what this poor girl and her family must be going through.

[legaldiva]

Horrific. I just read a novel by Joyce Carol Oates about a gang rape called "Rape: A Love Story." (The love story is NOT about the rape itself, or love between the victim & offenders!)

We should also be teaching our children that alcohol is poison ... and a dangerous drug that can lead you to being ultra vulnerable. That's not to blame the victim, but just to help our kids protect themselves better against these animal predators.

[Jahpson]

I dont know what to say or how to react. that is absolutely horrific!!! that poor girl

[luckyblonde3295]

There are no words.....my heart breaks to know that we live in such a cruel world.

[carousel eyes]

I can't believe it took place for TWO HOURS! =[ My heart goes out to this young girl. It's so digusting, I can't believe people like that are alive in this world. At the same time, you have to chide the girl for drinking to excess. You wonder if other girls were present, because that would break my heart even more.

[pinkinthecity]

This is awful. Every time I read something like this (i.e. the news story about a bunch of young boys setting some other boy on fire), I really question what is happening to today's youth and it makes me absolutely terrified. I attended school in the suburbs like late 90s, early 00s and I cannot imagine something like this happening at any school; the most awful thing that happened back in my day was when some kid keyed a teacher's car.

I am so sad for the girl. I hope she can overcome this.

[MarneeB]

How horrible. And even worse that people watched without helping. It's so sad. My heart hurts for this girl and her family.

[ilovepinkhearts]

that is truly disturbing! what is wrong with children/teenagers these days? are their parents not trying to teach them anything?? they have absolutely no respect for anything or anyone. it makes me sick! i am trying my best to raise my children to be responsible and respectable. and i look around and i see what other children their age are doing and it scares me...what kind of an adult are those children going to make??

[canada's]

i have no words.

society continues to disappoint.

[domlee]

Horrible....

[hipmama]

^^^I agree with all of you. I have so many questions. The girl called her father to pick her up and this happened before he got there. I want to know why it took him 2 hours to pick her up. I have two family members that teach in that school district. One teaches not far from Richmond High. I am very familiar with the area and environment. Although this can happen in any city, the area around the high school is not one where you leave your daughter for 2 hours at night. I just don't understand...

Four police officers and several school security staffers were on hand at the dance. Two site supervisors, left at about 9 p.m. because of a "prior commitment" and because they believed the police had enough support. This is not an attempt to blame the city or school district, but This is so backwards!! Richmond has been plagued by so much violence lately. They should not have these activities at night if they do not have enough security. How about mid week and directly after school?

Even though alcohol was involved, no information has been released that indicates if she did so willingly.

I believe this girl was ambushed. I hope she recovers and is emotionally stable to identify a majority of the 20 thugs that did this. Those who watched and did nothing are accessories to the crime.

[TheWinglessBird]

No wayyyy!! That is just AWFUL!

[lorihmatthews]

It sounds like she was walking toward a phone when she was attacked and never made the phone call to her father.

While that's a minor detail, I am always shocked at gang/crowd mentality.

[ayla]

^ Indeed, this reminds me of the Kitty Genovese scenario. I can't believe people just stood around, out of 20 people, NO ONE thought this was against natural justice ?!