Alyssa+and+Kylie

=__[|Torrington High School students rally for rape defendant] __=

Background: This article is about how students at Torrington High School are trying to rally to relase a student from statutory rape charges. Statutory rape is defined as sexual intercourse by an adult with a person below a statutorily designated age. Three students were charged for statutory rape on two 13 year old girls. Students in the school are using social medias to show support to the criminals and bash on victims in hope to lighten charges. The rallying of the students seems to have convinced them that statutory rape is not a serious crime.

Questions: Why do you think the students are supporting the rape crime? Should the school condemn or praise the rallying? How does this article relate to gender? Do you think that this tragedy was entirely the boys' fault, or do you think that the victims are at fault also? What would your reaction be if this happened to one of your friends? (both defendant and victim point of view)

Alyssa's Reaction: This article was interesting because it brought up a different type of rape. I'm not really sure if I support what the students are doing though. I think that statutory rape is still horrible and it's probably caused by a lack of education or knowledge. Even though the victim could have given consent, I still think that the boys should have known better and that it is illegal to have sexual activities with a minor. I think that statutory rape should not be taken as lightly as the students are trying to make it because it could encourage students that it's acceptable. I think that the social media aspect definitely lightened the seriousness of statutory rape. Young students are so attached to and easily influenced by social media. Portraying the case in favor of the defendants will make an impact on how other students think.

Kylie's reaction: I thought that this article was very interesting. After reading it once, I was torn on which side I agreed with, and if I supported the rallying that the students are doing, or not. I think that because this case involves statutory rape, which has to do with age and not about consent, it is harder to be angry with the boys who are accused of the crime because the victim's consent had nothing to do with the situation. However, I still find the boys irresponsible for either not knowing this law, or simply just not following it. I thought that this article had a very neat twist on it as it has very different circumstances than the Steubenville rape case.