Louisiana parish claims incarcerated 14-year-old consented to be raped by a corrections officer

[ismnotwasm]

A Louisiana parish is arguing that it should not be held liable for the rape of a 14-year-old girl in a juvenile detention center because the victim “consented” to be sexually assaulted by a 40-year-old corrections officer at the facility.

The victim, now 20, filed a civil lawsuit against her assailant, former guard Angelo Vickers, as well as Terrebonne Parish.

The age of consent in Louisiana is 17, but court documents allege that “Vickers could not have engaged in sexual relations within the walls of the detention center with [the victim] without cooperation from her. Vickers did not use force, violence or intimidation when engaging in sexual relations.”

In a comment on the case to the Tri-County Times, an anonymous official also remarked that the 14-year-old should share the blame for her assault, saying: “These girls in the detention center are not Little Miss Muffin.”

Attorneys for the young woman — supported by victim rights advocates — argue that consent is not possible in this case.

http://www.salon.com/2013/08/07/louisiana_parish_claims_incarcerated_14_year_old_consented_to_be_raped_by_her_corrections_officer/

No rape culture here either, Of course.

[MotherPetrie]

1. K&R

[Politicalboi]

2. How dare

"Little Miss Muffin.” tease that adult officer.

So a hard penis is cause for rape. Sounds so middle eastern to me. I'm surprised women here don't have to wear burka's.

[Booster]

3. So, if a 14 yr old caged girl says ok then it's ok with the Louisiana parish? What is the age of

consent there. If his neighbor's 14 yr old daughter said she wanted it would it be ok with the girl's father? I doubt it.

[niyad]

6. as per the article, age of consent is 17.

[nomorenomore08]

12. Which should destroy any argument that this was remotely consensual.

Then add the fact that he was in a clear position of power over the victim...

[ceonupe]

4. Insurance will settle

I can't belive the Parrish wants to litigate this.

Insurance should cover the settlement I would think.

On another note they need to take a look at this prison/youth facility. And institute policy where no male officer is in contact with a female inmate/detainee outside of an area on video. Really at this age all areas of contact with staff should be on video. Showers of course should not and officers should not be inside of there either.

The statement made about "these girls" leads me to belive this may have happened with more than one child and more than one staff member

[niyad]

7. sadly, it is almost certain you are correct about this not being the only incident.

[ismnotwasm]

10. Completely Agree

In facilities like this, finding systemic patterns of abuse I'd far from uncommon

[niyad]

5. k and r--I saw this earlier tonight, and was so angry I wanted to scream. I would ask what the ****

is the matter with these people, but it is such a clear example of hatred for women there just are not enough words. may everyone involved in this case receive everything they deserve.

[tblue]

8. He needs to be in jail!

How ignorant are those people?

[Shrike47]

9. You see, she must have 'cooperated.'

That's apparently another way of describing failing to overpower him.

[sigmasix]

11. pedophiles have protectors everywhere

I hope she wins the suit and the rapist spends the rest of his life paying for this inhuman crime. Why is it poor and minority girls are always subject to this sort of pedophiliac appologia? I have no doubt that there is a strong current of local right wing partisan operatives in the backround of this story. Consent is not possible in the case of a 14 year old child. They are not supposed to be subject to adult sexualization of any type until the age of consent. An adult in a position of authority over a 14 year old girl that rapes her should have his freedom forever confiscated- If his superiors are attempting to legitimise sexual relations between gaurds and child-inmates, shouldn't they have their legal licenses and history closely examined? I smell more accusations of rape for this incarceration officer and the parish itself. Pedophiles are always serial offenders- it is a sickness that increases in violence and incidence when it goes undetected or is allowed by the powers that be. Is there anything good coming out of louisiana lately? I feel sorry for the residents of all these backward, ex-confederate states.

[nomorenomore08]

13. "Why is it poor and minority girls are always subject to this sort of pedophilic apologia?"

For the same reason millions of Americans (and six jurors) saw nothing wrong with shooting an unarmed black teenager walking home from the store. Those considered "less than" are simply disposable, so far as society at large is concerned. And it's funny - weird funny, not ha-ha funny, and actually very sad - how quickly these supposedly "precious" (while in the womb) children's lives become worthless, in the eyes of white conservatives.

[Enthusiast]

20. Plus one.

Most of these outspoken conservatives don't really care about the life of the unborn. The abortion issue is all about control.

[ismnotwasm]

27. Exactly

+1000

[avaistheone1]

15. Yes, and particularly when the pedophile predators are law enforcement.

[blkmusclmachine]

14. It's the victim's fault.

[avaistheone1]

16. I doubt this girl consented. But for the sake of argument let's say she did - given the age of

consent is 17 in Louisiana, the corrections officer broke the law and raped her.

I pray this young woman wins her case.

[exboyfil]

18. You can't really consent given the power arrangement

It is almost like saying a slave consented with sex with her master. The guard controls so many aspects of an inmate's safety and welfare. To a lesser extent this applies to a power arrangement within employment as well.

In the case of guards/prisoners all sex should be viewed as coercive even with adult prisoners.

[avaistheone1]

21. Absolutely on all counts. There are rights like these that one can not give up, and that

can not be taken away. The acts of this correction officer was a outrageous violation of this girl on multiple levels.
That anyone can defend the actions of this predator is stunningly absurd to me.

[CSStrowbridge]

17. Get the DOJ inolved

This is not longer a civil lawsuit. By making that claim, it is clear this is a systemic issue and the federal government is needed to come in and clean up.

[Enthusiast]

19. "She wanted it."

Assholes! "Corrections officer"

These are the people that need to be in jail, not their victims.

[kristopher]

22. What kind of human beings are these people?

I used to think I could empathize with nearly anyones view and feelings, but I was clearly fooling myself.

[CrispyQ]

23. This is wrong on so many levels.

I'm seething.

I hope she wins her case.

[gollygee]

24. It is impossible to consent to be raped

And 14 year olds can't consent regardless.

I don't even know what to say about this. We treat people of color as disposable, we treat women as though they should always be sexually available, we treat children as though they're nothing. It all comes together here.

[Squinch]

25. And again, we have the same old "virgin, whore" caste system.

In saying that the girls who enter the detention center "are not Little Miss Muffin" he is saying, hey, they're here. They're already damaged goods, so we can do whatever we want to them. It doesn't matter that they are children.

That pig should be in jail.

The fact that there is even a discussion about this is disgusting.

[exboyfil]

26. Amen

They should reveal who said this quote to at least subject him to public shaming.

[Arcanetrance]

28. I saw this earlier and became to angry to respond and figured I would come back and comment later

But i'm still to angry and disgusted to form a coherent thought. The things I'd like to do to these people and their defenders would get me locked up