Only the truth will save us: Society fails when victims of sexual assault are stigmatized

Another story about rape and football.

Two girls say they’re raped in small town Missouri. Felony charges are leveled against a high school football player, then dropped. Under what influence? One juvenile offender is convicted on a lesser charge. The social media bullying begins. Local authorities shrug as the victim is run out of town. Or attempts suicide. Months later, the whole rotten story appears in the Kansas City Star, and under even greater political pressure those authorities are forced to consider taking the matter up again. Sound familiar?

As it is in Annapolis, where two football players face court-martial. As it is in Nashville, where a football player pleads guilty to covering up the gang rape allegedly committed by his teammates. As it is in Steubenville, where two football players commit rape and the community harasses the victims. So it is in Maryville. Is football culture rape culture?

Read more: http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/9845262/society-fails-victims-sexual-assault-stigmatized