Prosecutors Push For Audrie Pott’s Alleged Attackers To Be Tried As Adults
We may see justice in the Audrie Pott case after all. Pott committed suicide just days after she was sexually assaulted and then tormented with photographs of the assault via social media. Prosecutors are pushing to try the three alleged attackers as adults.
Bob Allard, the attorney representing the Pott family told Yahoo News:
“This is not your typical juvenile crime. We’re talking about an orchestrated crime. Right up next to murder would be an assault like this. An adult-like crime with an adult-like mentality.”
Allard believes the crime is so grave that the boys not only should be tried as adults, but that they should be charged with homicide as well. The boys are all aged 16. Their names have not been released because they are minors.
I understand the push to charge the attackers as adults. I can also empathize with wanting to charge them with homicide. How are we going to put a stop to this rampant abuse, rape and social media shaming? Audrie Pott was sexually assaulted while unconscious. The rape was photographed, and the photos were passed around via text, email – and finally Facebook. She wrote on her own Facebook page, The whole school knows… My life is ruined. She was victimized once by the attackers and then repeatedly by her peers who thought it was funny to spread such an awful photo around.
How many more stories of bullying and suicide will we need to hear before we all agree that we need to educate young people about the grave dangers of their actions – and truly take bullies to task. If these allegations are true – these boys aren’t bullies, they are rapists. But everyone else who had a hand in distributing these horrific images should be punished for their role in ultimately ending a life.
The attorney for the family says that they will be “pushing for legislative action in the form of ‘Audrie’s Law,’ which would call for harsher penalties for cyberbullying.” Clearly this legislation is needed. Not only is cyberbullying tormenting the lives of teens everywhere – it is making it harder for rape victims to come forward. We’ve all seen what happens to rape victims on social media. It’s terrible.
I hope that her family sees justice served.
Here is a great resource if you know a child that is being bullied:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK
(photo: Facebook)
