Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Sunday November 06 2016, @04:55AM   Printer-friendly
from the don't-believe-everything-you-read dept.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37879151

Rolling Stone magazine and a journalist have been found guilty of defamation over a false article about a gang rape at the University of Virginia.

The $7.5m (£6m) lawsuit was brought by Nicole Eramo, an associate dean from the university, who said the article had cast her as the "chief villain".

The 2014 article, written by Sabrina Rubin Erdely, included the rape claim of an unidentified female student.

The magazine retracted the article in April 2015, citing inconsistencies.

[...] An investigation by the Charlottesville Police Department had found no evidence that "Jackie" had been gang raped.

[...] The amount [Nicole Eramo] is due in damages will be determined at a later date.

The 10-member federal jury in Charlottesville found that Erdely, the journalist, was responsible for libel with actual malice.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by GungnirSniper on Sunday November 06 2016, @07:37AM

    by GungnirSniper (1671) on Sunday November 06 2016, @07:37AM (#423058) Journal

    No, continuing to make being a victim a stigma perpetuates the concept of the woman having "fallen" or being disgraced. If the man can be named every step of the way from arrest onward so should the accuser.

    This was particularly true with the scumbag kid in California where the shame and "dirtiness" the woman felt was worse than the act itself. He raped her but the cultural stigma harmed her even more.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +1  
       Insightful=1, Total=1
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   3  
  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 06 2016, @05:24PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 06 2016, @05:24PM (#423179)

    > No, continuing to make being a victim a stigma perpetuates the concept of the woman having "fallen" or being disgraced.

    So, your solution for the problem is to out the victims and let society beat them up and just hope that we all collectively decide not to mistreat them?

    Really? Are you some kind zero-empathy sociopath? Because anyone with an ounce of compassion would realize that you fix the problem first before throwing the weak to the lions.

    I suppose you are also OK with the facebook model where nobody has any privacy at all? Or is privacy only important when it protects you?

  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by sjames on Sunday November 06 2016, @06:24PM

    by sjames (2882) on Sunday November 06 2016, @06:24PM (#423202) Journal

    Sure, there shouldn't be a stigma, but it's not going to be removed by pretending there isn't one. Perhaps the names of accused rapists should be withheld until a conviction as well since that also carries a lot of stigma that a non-guilty finding or a decision not to prosecute doesn't seem to wash off.