'A Star Player Accused'

The NYT investigates the Jameis Winston investigation.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/16/sports/errors-in-inquiry-on-rape-allegations-against-fsu-jamies-winston.html?hp&_r=0

Among the revelations:

1) A second woman sought counseling after an uncomfortable sexual encounter with Winston

2) The alleged rape was videotaped, but the police failed to collect the tape.

 

We don’t need an investigation, thorough or otherwise, to know that Jameis did not sexually assault this young lady.” Mr. Cornwell, who has represented major sports figures and the N.F.L., added, “Jameis has never sexually assaulted anybody.”

 

He's referring to the NYT investigation. Plus, that's Winston's lawyer. Who cares what he says?

 

I get that, though there is a certain arrogance, and defiance in the statement.

But, the attitude seems to permeate the police force and the school.

What's as disturbing about this article as anything else is that the police didn't seem to care even before a suspect was identified. They weren't just willing to ignore this girl because alleged assailant was a star football player. They were willing to ignore her regardless of who assaulted her.

 

Dude, it's his lawyer. It is his paid advocate. What in the world else would you like him to say? Let's re-open this thing?

 

And it's not just her. The story told the tale of the second woman who was assaulted on campus, then essentially treated like the accused. Of course, we're getting one side of the story here, but my faith in police to conduct thorough, professional crime investigations, well before I read this piece, is not exactly high.

 

Just makes me shudder, the incompetence on display.

This level of shitbaggery and sloth, I suspect, is isolated. But the shaming of rape victims in initial interrogations...I don't think that is isolated.

 

As noted elsewhere, after reading the piece, it sounds more and more like shitty police work by a detective who worked private security for Florida State boosters.

In a college town, of course, the conflict of interests are immense and almost unavoidable but it looks especially bad in this case.

 

The nature of police work, and who it draws to the profession, would be really fascinating to delve into. I suspect it draws a good proportion of smart, competent, idealistic young men. And, also, a good proportion of utter neanderthals.

 

I can't help but be reminded of the Notre Dame Lizzy Seeburg rape case. At least this one didn't end inthat level of tragedy.

 

The videotaping also reminds me of the time about 20 years or so ago when one FSU player hooked up one night and put a tape recorder under the bed to audiotape the encounter. He said he did it to play for his friends later, but also pointed out that it helped protect him from false rape accusations.

He got in trouble, though, and was hit with a fine, or something like that.

 

I vaguely remember a story that Winston had recorded the entire encounter and did that on a regular basis to protect himself from rape accusations.