We here at BUST, readers and bloggers alike, are well aware of rape culture and what an insidious problem it is. Unfortunately, many – including the higher-ups of university administration – are not. Many schools have egregiously mishandled cases of sexual assault, and in many cases, victims won’t even come forward because of the blame they fear their college communities will lay on them.
The two offenders, JaWand Blue and Alex Figueroa, both 20 year old football players, turned themselves in. They admitted to getting a 17 year old girl drunk and raping her multiple times in Figueroa’s dorm room.
The rapes allegedly occurred over the 4th of July weekend, and it’s refreshing to see such swift and ruthless action being taken. The victim has been met with understanding and sympathy by her fellow students, according to a Yahoo! article that quotes a graduate student as saying, “I feel terrible for the girl.”
While this is a tragic story, there is hope that this situation will serve as a point of education for potential rapists, as well as set an example for other schools regarding how sensitive situations such as this one ought to be handled.
