Jury acquits former Ohio State soccer gamers in rape case

A pretty disturbing case got here to an in depth in Columbus, the place two former OSU soccer gamers, Amir I. Riep and Jahsen L. Wint, have been acquitted by a jury of the rape and kidnapping of a 19-year-old scholar. The case appeared to hinge on a video of the alleged sufferer giving consent after the actual fact, despite the fact that the video appears to point out her doing so by way of tears. She mentioned she solely did so to flee sooner. (Whereas the footage is reportedly “visually darkish,” the girl will be heard saying that she’s crying after which agreeing to the query of whether or not the encounter was consensual.)

There are quite a few features to this case, and much more that talk to the nonetheless festering drawback of sexual assault amongst sports activities applications on campus, which our colleagues at Jezebel expertly cowl. One of many extra disturbing features of the case was the 2 defendants mentioned that getting video of consent from their sexual companions was one thing the workforce and college had instructed them to do, which is horrifying.

“I’m on the soccer workforce and that is one thing that we simply are taught to do to guard ourselves,” Amir I. Riep testified he informed one of many ladies earlier than recording. “It’s nothing in opposition to you.”

Riep and one other witness, Lloyd McFarquhar, who was a fellow former soccer participant at Ohio State, testified that gamers have been instructed to obtain proof that anybody they’ve intercourse with consented to guard themselves from doable ramifications—authorized, or in any other case.

An Ohio State soccer workforce spokesman, Jerry Emig, despatched an announcement by way of e mail to The Columbus Dispatch saying:

“Generally, when the Division of Athletics speaks with student-athletes about consent, we work carefully with subject material specialists on campus and observe the college’s effectively established Non-Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct Coverage.

“You’ll see that web page one of many coverage defines consent as, ‘permission that’s clear, understanding, voluntary, and expressed previous to partaking in and through an act. Consent is energetic, not passive. Silence, in and of itself, can’t be interpreted as consent. Consent will be given by phrases or actions, so long as these phrases or actions create mutually comprehensible clear permission relating to willingness to interact in (and the situations of) sexual exercise.’”

One would hope that the college can be extra keen on instructing its gamers and all college students about what consent is and what getting it entails and making everybody on campus really feel secure as a substitute of giving its soccer gamers a handy out, however that is faculty soccer in spite of everything. So as a substitute we get this.

We went by way of this with the Hockey Canada case, the place the alleged sufferer was filmed saying she consented despite the fact that she was clearly incapable of doing so. And it was apparent that the gamers knew they needed to have this “proof.” The place would they’ve gotten that concept?

These establishments, as a substitute of instructing younger males or boys what treating ladies with respect and decency is or the correct method of going about sexual encounters are as a substitute simply exhibiting them “the way to get away with it.” How is that this ever going to get higher in the event that they’re not taking the time to root this evil out at its supply and train everybody higher? What’s even sadder is that in Columbus, shock of all shocks, it appears to have labored.