Breaking: New Hampshire Student Found Not Guilty of Felony Rape; Women’s Group UltraViolet Responds
Early today, a New Hampshire jury found Owen Labrie, a former student of St. Paul’s Prep School in New Hampshire not guilty of felony rape.
Statement from Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of UltraViolet:
“Today’s verdict is an outrage and a clear example of the fact that rape culture is everywhere. All too often that means no justice for survivors of rape and sexual assault. While the court found that Owen Labrie was guilty on a number of misdemeanor charges – our justice system failed to call his crimes what they really are: felony rape.
We applaud this young woman’s courage for standing up against her assaulter and demanding justice. We hear her story and it’s all too familiar. Only 3% of rape cases result in jail time for the rapist. American can and must do better.”
Labrie was convicted on several misdemeanor charges, including penetration of a minor. Each misdemeanor charge carries a 12-month prison sentence and Labrie will be listed as a sex offender, his sentencing will happen at a later date.
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