Earlier this week, the Duke men's lacrosse team captains issued a statement denying that a sexual assault occurred at a party thrown at their off-campus house on March 13, 2006. A police investigation of the victim's claim is still underway, and at the time of this printing, no one has yet been charged for the alleged assault.
Accounts of the incident have sparked outrage about elitism, racism and sexual violence. And while the situation is intrinsically heated and divisive, it seems as though widespread public speculation has taken the place of a critical response to hard evidence.
Devoid of any recent developments, the community is naturally in want of more answers-answers that, given the particulars of a routine criminal investigation, are still unavailable at this time.
The Duke and Durham community is right to be offended at the survivor's account of what transpired, and I am indeed grateful for the community's outrage and indignation over the humiliating and intolerable acts of hatred committed by perpetrators of sexual assault.
Despite the community's best intentions, however, I simply cannot condone its readiness to allow guesswork to supercede available evidence. It is unfair to those accused, and it is harmful to the victims of assault.
But the public has contented itself with castigating and condemning every party involved: The men's lacrosse team has already been presumed guilty by the public for its "wall of silence;" the woman involved in the incident has been faulted for her "bad career decisions" and consequently blamed for her own violation; even University officials have taken flack from students and national media alike for "not doing more," such as suspending the accused from their classes and the field.
These unwarranted suppositions and condemnations are downright shameful. In the absence of more information, this campus has a responsibility to accord every alleged victim of assault dignity and has an obligation to respect the rights of the accused.
Forty-six men on the lacrosse team are facing very serious criminal investigation-yet there is a widespread sense of moral indignation at the team's collective determination not to disclose any further information. Of their decision, I am entirely supportive.
To those who demand that the players in attendance feed the public more details, I am appalled. It should be obvious to any rational American citizen that coercing public disclosure of "facts" unequivocally undermines the constitutional guarantees of the accused.
Moreover, just because the public has not yet heard the players' side of the story does not mean that individual team members have been unforthcoming or uncooperative with authorities. Any account released at present could raise later motions to suppress integral physical evidence and vital witness accounts.
According to the News and Observer: "During a 'Take Back the Night' rally and march on campus Wednesday night, anonymous fliers were placed on nearby cars. They contained photos taken from Duke's website of all but four of the lacrosse team players and urged the players to tell what they know about the incident."
But with the local Durham community hanging on every word of every version of every news release, the publication of even a single player's statement would undoubtedly contaminate the local jury pool. At this point, to disclose anything more to the public could compromise any chance at a fair dispensation of justice for both the team and the victim.
The team's disparaged "wall of silence" is not only preferable but necessary-at least for now. Unfortunately, for some people, the silence seems to be incrimination enough.
Regardless of what the investigation may yield, the dialogue that this incident has provoked suggests that our community is actively looking for ways to understand and help survivors of sexual assault more fully:
Duke's increased awareness of Sexual Assault Prevention Week; the voicing of emotive opinions at protest rallies on the main campus quad; pledges, clothesline displays and pinwheel projects; the inspiring attendance at Wednesday's Take Back the Night march and speak-out-all these wonderful demonstrations buoy my optimism in our community's responsiveness, concern and dedication to social change.
We finally seem ready to talk about how events like this make us feel about rape and sexual assault. And perhaps more importantly, we finally seem ready to listen.
In this time of uncertainty, pain and doubt, there is nothing left for me to do but hope. Hope for forgiveness, hope for healing and hope that in the end, the constitutional rights of our nation will ultimately bring justice to all.
Boston Cote is a Trinity senior. Her column runs every Friday.
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