Rape Suspects Had An Audience

I commented on this story a few months ago when the news first dropped. Several high school students sexually assaulted a classmate with a hockey stick. This prank which they all contest was just done in fun has led to these individuals being tried as adults on rape charges. Well now more interesting news is being revealed.

It has now come out that this assault was not done in private. The student that was attacked is now saying the entire football team was there and witnessed his attack. According to Queerty, "Many members of a Florida middle school's flag football team were in the locker room when a 13-year-old boy was sexually assaulted by some of his teammates with a hockey stick and broomstick, according to court documents released Tuesday. The teen told a detective that two teammates penetrated him with a stick as many as a dozen times while two others held him down. He said 'basically the whole team' was in the room. The boy said the sexual assaults happened over a period of several weeks but it was unclear how many times. … One witness described hearing the victim yelling at the boys to stop. Another said the victim was fighting to get away but laughed when he finally did.

I just don't understand how the kids involved in this assault thought this was amusing. What's funny about holding a guy hostage and violating him with a hockey stick. I know how locker room behavior works and I know that teens need to demonstrate their Alpha Male mentality occasionally. This really manifests when there is a group of others watching. But these kids are now realizing there are consequences to their action. Homophobia may not even be a factor in this equation. The main catalyst for this behavior is probably stupidity and adolescent immaturity. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out when these kids go to court.