Teen Attempts Suicide After Being Gang Raped By 4 Boys Who Also Thought It Would Be ‘Fun’ To Circulate Pictures Of Her Rape
UPDATE: Anonymous claims to have all four names of Rehtaeh Parsons’ alleged rapists.
About a year and a half ago, 15-year-old Rehtaeh Parsons was gang-raped at a party by four boys, according to her mother Leah Parsons. But to compound her pain, these little monsters also allegedly took pictures of her being raped and circulated them to her entire school. Just for rapey kicks. Somebody definitely failed to meet goal #1 in raising their sons — that being not raising rapists.
The Chronicle Herald in Canada reports Rehtaeh’s mom as saying:
”She went with a friend to another’s home. In that home, she was raped by four young boys,” wrote Leah Parsons.
”One of those boys took a photo of her being raped and decided it would be fun to distribute the photo to everyone in Rehtaeh’s school and community, where it quickly went viral.”
Needless to say, Rehtaeh wasn’t exactly going back to school where everyone was giddily passing around photos of her sexual assault (also known as child pornography given that she was underage). Especially when she was receiving messages like this, according to her mom:
”People texted her all the time, saying ”˜Will you have sex with me?’” she remembered. ”Girls texting, saying ”˜You’re such a slut.’”
Her mother says that her teenager moved to a new town and checked into a hospital to deal with depression and suicidal thoughts (she eventually moved back to her hometown of Dartmouth). All the while, a year-long investigation into Rehtaeh’s rape concluded “insufficient evidence to lay charges,” says RCMP spokesman Cpl. Scott MacRae.
Other details regarding the investigation could not be shared reportedly due to privacy laws. But Rehtaeh’s mom isn’t pleased with how the investigation was executed:
”They didn’t even interview the boys until much, much later. To me, I’d think you’d get the boys right away, separate them.”
When it came to the photo or photos taken that night, ”nothing was done about that because they couldn’t prove who had pressed the photo button on the phone,” she said.
She was told that the distribution of the photos is ”not really a criminal issue, it’s more of a community issue,” she said.
”Even though she was 15 at the time, which is child pornography.
”The whole case was full of things like that. We didn’t have a rape kit done because we didn’t even know (anything had happened) until several days later when she had a breakdown in my kitchen.
”She was trying to keep it to herself.”
At 17, Rehtaeh was still experiencing “mood swings.” After an “outburst” last week, Rehtaeh locked herself in the bathroom and hung herself. Although she survived, she was ultimately taken off life support by her family.
Her mother has erected a Facebook page in her daughter’s memory. But no justice for those young men who thought that sexual assault was something to document and brag about. Sound familiar?
(photo: youtube.com)