Richmond High School Rape of 15 year old as group watches

OMG, I have heard this story earlier. However, today, I sat here and watched this story of HLN and my blood was boiling. WHY is this NOT a crime???? A group of people watched this happen and did NOTHING! This article says the victim had to be 14 years old or younger to be a crime. Are you f'ing kidding me? Who raised these kids who were watching? Baboons? Wolves? Hell, I'm not sure even our animals act this way. Parents need to start taking responsibility for their kids and teaching them morals and personal responsibility. Any one of those people there could have walked away and made an anonymous call to the police. Unreal! Just absolutely unreal!

I won't even get into how I feel about the suspects. I'm sure that goes without saying. Just sickening! The world we live in sometimes just scares the hell out of me for my children.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=7111732


By Cecilia Vega

RICHMOND, CA (KGO) -- He was at first arrested, then released for lack of evidence, now Salvador Rodriguez says he was the only one who tried to help the 16-year-old Richmond High School student who was gang raped outside her homecoming dance.

MOST POPULAR: Video, stories and more
SIGN-UP: Get breaking news sent to you from ABC7

"She was by herself, she was naked and I tried to help her and I reached for her and she started screaming and I said, 'Hey, I don't want to hurt you, I just want to help, that's all I want to do is just help you,'" Rodriguez said. "So she stopped screaming, it's as if she knew, you know, I wasn't trying to do nothing and then I grabbed my t-shirt and covered her up with it."

Speaking publicly for the first time, the 21-year-old said he was skateboarding outside Richmond High the night of the dance. He saw that a group had formed on a poorly lit section of campus; what he saw when he got there was horrific.

"They were kicking her in her head and they were beating her up, robbing her and ripping her clothes off; it's something you can't get out your mind," Rodriguez said.

Police say the rape went on for 2.5 hours and that as many as 10 people may have participated while 20 others watched and did nothing.

"I saw people, like, dehumanizing her; I saw some pretty crazy stuff," Rodriguez said.

ABC7 spoke to another witness to the rape. He was summoned over by another bystander watching the attack.

"She was pretty quiet; I thought she was like dead for a minute but then I saw her moving around, I was like, 'Oh,'" the 16-year-old witness said.

He says he never called police because he did not have a cell phone, and he was scared.

"I really wanted to help her but I don't know, I just didn't," he said.

He watched for 15-20 minutes. Not even his family knows he was there.

"I feel like I could have done something but I don't feel like I have any responsibility for anything that happened," he said.

Rodriquez says he knew at least one of the attackers and tried to stop the group from taking pictures of the victim on their cell phone.

"I just see like everybody going crazy and messing with her and I was like, 'Hey man, calm down, leave her alone, that's a little girl,' you don't do nothing like that,' cuz I got two 15-year-old sisters myself," Rodriquez said.

He wishes he could have done more, but now he fears being labeled as a snitch. He is friends with one of the suspects in custody.

"People say, 'Why didn't I call the cops,' but at the same time, I live in Richmond, a neighborhood like this, snitching is something you don't do, you know, I mean I have to walk down the streets now in fear of my life," Rodriquez said.

Police are still awaiting results from DNA evidence taken from the crime scene. If there is a match, Rodriquez could be rearrested.

The six people who have been charged in the homecoming assault appeared in court again Tuesday. They did not enter pleas, but they remain in custody, and could be sent to prison for life if convicted. Three of those in custody are juveniles being charged as adults.

The witnesses who watched but did nothing cannot be charged with a crime because California law states that the girl would have had to be 14 years old for it to be a crime.

A fund has been specifically set up to benefit the young woman and her family. Parties may send a check to Richmond High School, 1250 23rd St., Richmond , CA 94804. Checks should be made out to "Richmond High School Student Fund" with "Sex assault victim" on the memo line.

Hi, Tracey!

I saw this story on HLN, Nancy Grace & Issues with Jane Velez Mitchell. I was absolutely horrified & disgusted by what I heard. I cannot believe all those people watched and did absolutely NOTHING! There is no excuse for their total lack of empathy. Even though they can't be arrested for not doing anything to stop this terrible crime, I do believe in karma. What goes around, comes around. They will all get what they deserve in due time. It's heartbreaking to think that all it would have taken was for someone to just pick up their phone to call for help. That simple, and yet all those horse's asses didn't want to get "involved".

Booklover,

I was also having mixed feelings about this one witness who has now come forward. I think I have become so cynical that whenever I hear story like he has told, I almost immediately don't believe him. I hope he actually did do as he said, at least and "TRY" little as it was, to help her. My mixed feeling comes from, after all we have seen in the KC Anthony case, I can almost understand why he didn't come forward. No one wants to get involved anymore. Look how all those involved in KC's life, have had their entire lives turned upside down and inside out. So many lives ruined. So, I can almost understand. However, we as a society have to do the right thing, regardless of how it may affect our lives. This is the rape and assault of a young girl. And the murder of a two year old baby, (Caylee). So, I guess I lose sympathy for those who say, we don't want to get involved. Wouldn't you think calling the police would be an instinct, not something we should even have to think about?
I just really think we are dropping the ball early with our kids and not teaching them morals, values and to do the right thing and standing up in the face of adversity or challenges.
This just has me so angry. It could have been a 30 second phone call to give an address.

This young girl will never be the same. How do you ever trust mankind again, after this. Hopefully, SHE has a good family who will get her the help she will most definitely need.

I agree with you Book and Tracey. The lack of morals and empathy in a lot of young people today is just stunning. It's sad when somebody values not being labeled a snitch more than they value helping somebody who is being victimized. There's no excuse to just stand there and watch a young girl being raped. If you can't remove her from the situation because you are outnumbered, you need to go call the police. As for the people who participated in the attack, lock them up and throw away the key.

Tracey6434 wrote:Booklover,

I was also having mixed feelings about this one witness who has now come forward. I think I have become so cynical that whenever I hear story like he has told, I almost immediately don't believe him. I hope he actually did do as he said, at least and "TRY" little as it was, to help her. My mixed feeling comes from, after all we have seen in the KC Anthony case, I can almost understand why he didn't come forward. No one wants to get involved anymore. Look how all those involved in KC's life, have had their entire lives turned upside down and inside out. So many lives ruined. So, I can almost understand. However, we as a society have to do the right thing, regardless of how it may affect our lives. This is the rape and assault of a young girl. And the murder of a two year old baby, (Caylee). So, I guess I lose sympathy for those who say, we don't want to get involved. Wouldn't you think calling the police would be an instinct, not something we should even have to think about?
I just really think we are dropping the ball early with our kids and not teaching them morals, values and to do the right thing and standing up in the face of adversity or challenges.
This just has me so angry. It could have been a 30 second phone call to give an address.

This young girl will never be the same. How do you ever trust mankind again, after this. Hopefully, SHE has a good family who will get her the help she will most definitely need.

Hi, Tracey! I wouldn't have to think twice about calling for help! It would be my first instinct, my automatic reaction. I could NOT stand by & watch like a cowardly idiot! I tend not to believe the one witness who finally decided to come forward. I believe he's only trying to ease his conscience, if he actually has one. I wonder how any of these morons would feel if they had been in a similar situation, and NO ONE cared enough to help them? Like I said, I do believe in karma, and one day these jerks will get what they deserve.

Justice4all wrote:I agree with you Book and Tracey. The lack of morals and empathy in a lot of young people today is just stunning. It's sad when somebody values not being labeled a snitch more than they value helping somebody who is being victimized. There's no excuse to just stand there and watch a young girl being raped. If you can't remove her from the situation because you are outnumbered, you need to go call the police. As for the people who participated in the attack, lock them up and throw away the key.

Hi, J4A! I just cannot believe the number of people who would rather watch someone being attacked rather than help stop it. If they were afraid of being injured themselves, they would just run away. Standing by and watching an attack such as this one is not only shameful, but TWISTED. I agree that the ones who participated in the attack should be locked up for life. The ones who watched and did NOTHING should have their pictures plastered everywhere. I wonder what they have for parents?

"The witnesses who watched but did nothing cannot be charged with a crime because California law states that the girl would have had to be 14 years old for it to be a crime."

This statement makes no sense at all!

Because she is 15 makes it okay to stand by and watch a young girl being brutally gang raped and beaten? If it's true that some of the bystanders took pictures and video on their cell phones, hopefully they can at least be arrested for child pornography. Oh, what disgusting excuses for human beings.

Piper wrote:"The witnesses who watched but did nothing cannot be charged with a crime because California law states that the girl would have had to be 14 years old for it to be a crime."

This statement makes no sense at all!

Because she is 15 makes it okay to stand by and watch a young girl being brutally gang raped and beaten? If it's true that some of the bystanders took pictures and video on their cell phones, hopefully they can at least be arrested for child pornography. Oh, what disgusting excuses for human beings.

Hi, Piper! I completely agree with you. The more I see of stories such as this one, the more I become disgusted with the human race. I'm so deeply affected by the total lack of empathy & compassion in this world. As a result, I become very disgusted with people. I'm beginning to wonder if it's me, & if I just care too much?

District pays $4 million to gang rape victim

Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer

San Francisco Chronicle January 22, 2011 12:48 PM


A teenage girl who police say was gang-raped by a group of men outside a Richmond High School homecoming dance will receive $4 million to settle a civil claim in the case, school officials said today.

The alleged victim, who was 16 when she was attacked in October 2009, will receive $2.5 million immediately and the rest of the amount in structured amounts over 40 years. The district, which is not admitting any wrongdoing in the suit, will pay $100,000, said Marin Trujillo, a spokesman for the West Contra Costa Unified School District.

The remainder will be paid by insurance through a joint powers authority.

"Our client, a remarkable young lady, struggles to put this behind her," the girl's attorney, Richard Schoenberger said today. "She and her parents pray that the district will do everything it can to prevent another such tragedy by paying greater attention to security during school events. As importantly, they hope that her horrific experience will serve as a reminder for others to come to the aid of people being victimized by violence."

Read more:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/01/22/BANR1HD2FH.DTL&tsp=1