More Today in Rape Culture

[Content Note: Sexual violence; rape apologia; victim-blaming; bullying.]

Shaker JF emailed me earlier today a heads-up about this story out of Connecticut about a 13-year-old girl who was raped by two 18-year-old high school football players, and was then subsequently harassed, bullied, and shamed on social media by "dozens of athletes and Torrington High School students."

Further, the school administration and athletic director are essentially using the existence of rape culture to defend what's happened:

School officials claim that the sexual assault charges against 18-year-olds Edgar Gonzalez and Joan Toribio, the hazing and other incidents are isolated problems and don't signal a deeper issue with the culture of Torrington High School, its athletic programs or football team.

Athletic Director Mike McKenna said, "If you think there's some wild band of athletes that are wandering around then I think you're mistaken."

"If you look at crime statistics these things happen everywhere and we're not any different than any other community," said McKenna.

Oh well, this stuff happens everywhere, boys will be boys, girls are worth shit, nothing to see here, move along.

What a breathtaking exhibition of cruel apathy to suggest that the ubiquity of rape, and the harassment of raped children, is justification for doing fuck-all about it.

There is something deeply wrong with a person who takes a long look at the rape culture and decides its vast entrenchment is an excuse for doing nothing, rather than a clarion call urging dismantlement.

Yeah, your community isn't special, Mr. McKenna. But if it was full of people who saw this incident as an incitement to radical action instead of a PR inconvenience that requires shitty defenses of the indefensible, it could be.