Police charge 16 students
Police charge 16 students
Teenage girl alleges she was repeatedly
harassed and sexually assaulted at her high school.
If you live in Toronto, or even Canada for that matter, you've seen headlines like the above splashed across newspapers and other media forms in the last fews days.
In all there were 14 boys and 2 girls arrested. The first 2 boys were arrested last week.
A 15-year-old boy was charged with with sexual assault, forcible confinement and criminal harrassment. A 17-year-old boy was charged with assault, sexual assault, forcible confinement and failure to comply with probation. The 12 newly arrested male students were charged with criminal harassment. The 2 female students were charged with threatening bodily harm. The incidents of sexual assault and harassment and threatening are alleged to have been going on for well over a year. The girl was terrified to report the incidents to the authorities. She was overheard telling her princpal as she cried, "...but they know where I live." The high number of arrested and fact that a majority of the incidents happened within the walls of the school has shocked most and caused a good number of to deny the accusations.
The newspapers and television news stations have been quoting students (not the accused individuals but other students in that particular school) that flat out refute the claims that the teenaged girl has made. My big question for them is, what makes you an expert or a reliable source for this position?? Do you know the girl personally? Do you monitor every move that she and all of the accused make? I highly doubt that. Anything you hear little girl, is only heresay and rumors. Rumors that may have well been started by those same individuals that have been accused of victimizing her for well over a year. Why would they tell you the truth? Why would they tell you something that would make them look bad, or even criminal? GET A CLUE!! You'd be better off to remember a saying I have, " You only know what each individual wants you to know. So what they tell you, may not be all there is to know." (Note: police are now confirming that atleast one of the assault incidents was caught on the schools CCTV system) Other students in the school haven't voiced opinions on whether or not it happened, they're just pissed off because the basketball team has beem desecrated by the arrests and the school has been made to look bad. You see approximately half of the team was involved in the alleged incidents. When I heard that part it made me immediately think of the states and how controlling football teams can be at the high school level. Numerous incidents have garnered media attention and they've always has similar themes....footballers or their coaches getting away with criminal things, all in the name of keeping the team in good standing. And now, if those pissed students had their way, this same thing would be happening here. Abusers would be allowed to commit violent and unwanted sexual attacks, at will, and be protected because they are the "atheletes" and the team that makes the whole school look good. Guess what, protecting violent predators DOES NOT MAKE ANYONE LOOK GOOD!! Especially NOT YOU!!
The second and just as disturbing thing about the above case, not including the incidents themselves, is the parents reactions. It's not reactions of outrage that their children would take part in the violent, systematic abuse of another human being, but the fact the their precious angels were arrested for it at schoool. Of course the first thing out of one mother's mouth, "It's racism". You see the victim is white and all but one of the accused is black. That should not be indicative of racism. You see, the area that the school is located in is predominately black therefore from a population perspective it would be logical that white people are the minority in the school and would be the minority in any "group" incident. Then when these juvenile's had to wait overnight for a bail hearing (which is a normal waiting time in the Canadian judicial system), that same mother was again shouting racism. Because the white student who was accused, was already out on bail. Hellllooooooo ladyyyyy are you in there?? He (and another teen) was arrested last week and bailed last week. Of course he's already out. While waiting over night for a bail hearing is not always the case, it can happen. Afterall a judge has to be available to hear the bail application. No judge. No bail. That's the way it goes.
Perhaps instead of crying racism and teaching your children to play the victim, you should teach them to take responsibility for their actions. Raise them to be strong and respectful of themselves and others. They are getting near to the end of the phase where you have any ability to mold them in to good, law abiding adults that contribute positively to society. Take the last few chances you have. Make them own up to their wrongs and answer for them. Do not blindly defend them. Support them. Love them. Give them what they need. But do not excuse, deny or dismiss their nasty and criminal behaviour.
The newspapers and television news stations have been quoting students (not the accused individuals but other students in that particular school) that flat out refute the claims that the teenaged girl has made. My big question for them is, what makes you an expert or a reliable source for this position?? Do you know the girl personally? Do you monitor every move that she and all of the accused make? I highly doubt that. Anything you hear little girl, is only heresay and rumors. Rumors that may have well been started by those same individuals that have been accused of victimizing her for well over a year. Why would they tell you the truth? Why would they tell you something that would make them look bad, or even criminal? GET A CLUE!! You'd be better off to remember a saying I have, " You only know what each individual wants you to know. So what they tell you, may not be all there is to know." (Note: police are now confirming that atleast one of the assault incidents was caught on the schools CCTV system) Other students in the school haven't voiced opinions on whether or not it happened, they're just pissed off because the basketball team has beem desecrated by the arrests and the school has been made to look bad. You see approximately half of the team was involved in the alleged incidents. When I heard that part it made me immediately think of the states and how controlling football teams can be at the high school level. Numerous incidents have garnered media attention and they've always has similar themes....footballers or their coaches getting away with criminal things, all in the name of keeping the team in good standing. And now, if those pissed students had their way, this same thing would be happening here. Abusers would be allowed to commit violent and unwanted sexual attacks, at will, and be protected because they are the "atheletes" and the team that makes the whole school look good. Guess what, protecting violent predators DOES NOT MAKE ANYONE LOOK GOOD!! Especially NOT YOU!!
The second and just as disturbing thing about the above case, not including the incidents themselves, is the parents reactions. It's not reactions of outrage that their children would take part in the violent, systematic abuse of another human being, but the fact the their precious angels were arrested for it at schoool. Of course the first thing out of one mother's mouth, "It's racism". You see the victim is white and all but one of the accused is black. That should not be indicative of racism. You see, the area that the school is located in is predominately black therefore from a population perspective it would be logical that white people are the minority in the school and would be the minority in any "group" incident. Then when these juvenile's had to wait overnight for a bail hearing (which is a normal waiting time in the Canadian judicial system), that same mother was again shouting racism. Because the white student who was accused, was already out on bail. Hellllooooooo ladyyyyy are you in there?? He (and another teen) was arrested last week and bailed last week. Of course he's already out. While waiting over night for a bail hearing is not always the case, it can happen. Afterall a judge has to be available to hear the bail application. No judge. No bail. That's the way it goes.
Perhaps instead of crying racism and teaching your children to play the victim, you should teach them to take responsibility for their actions. Raise them to be strong and respectful of themselves and others. They are getting near to the end of the phase where you have any ability to mold them in to good, law abiding adults that contribute positively to society. Take the last few chances you have. Make them own up to their wrongs and answer for them. Do not blindly defend them. Support them. Love them. Give them what they need. But do not excuse, deny or dismiss their nasty and criminal behaviour.
To that poor little girl. If you should come across this blog. I support you. I admire you. Stay strong. Don't let them own your life.
posted by Kari at 12:41 PM
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