This week, the Steubenville rape case was seemingly near its end with charges laid against two Big Red football players, while two gun-related incidents re-ignited the debate on gun control and laws. Far away in Australia, the country’s female prime minister apologized for an old traumatizing government policy that saw many single mothers separated from their children following World War II. Want more details? Then read on for this week’s NEWSFLASH!
2 Teen Boys Charged in Steubenville Rape Case
Trent Mays, 17, and Ma’lik Richmond, 16, were charged on Sunday for the rape of a 16-year-old girl in Steubenville that took place last August. Both Mays and Richmond, teammates on the Steubenville High School football team, were tried as juveniles in a four-day court case that ended with the rape charge.
In the early hours of August 12, 2012, the victim was incapacitated by alcohol and carried from party to party by Mays and Richmond, who took nude and semi-nude photographs of her. The victim testified that she woke up naked in a basement living room with Mays, Richmond, and another man, remembering nothing during the night due to alcohol consumption.
During the night, Mays and Richmond had also penetrated the victim’s vagina with their fingers. Given the victim’s inability to respond, the action fell under Ohio’s legal definition of rape.
The case grabbed national headlines for months as bloggers, including hacktivist group Anonymous, and social media users called for justice. Steubenville residents were divided over the case, with many accusing local investigators of trying to cover up misconducts committed by Steubenville High School’s “Big Red” football team members.
Media coverage of the case has remained extensive yet heavily criticized for its lack of sympathy for the rape victim.
Both Mays and Richmond will be classified as sex offenders and ordered to undergo treatment while in detention. They are also under orders to not approach the victim until they are 21.
UCF Narrowly Avoids Tragedy
A former University of Central Florida business student shot himself before he could unleash an attack on UCF campus in the early hours of Monday morning.
James Seevakumaran, 30, had planned to pull the fire alarm in a campus building to force students into a crowded hallway, where he would then shoot at them and pelt them with four homemade bombs.
Seevakumaran had pulled the fire alarm shortly after midnight on Monday just as planned, but then returned to the apartment where he threatened his roommate, Arabo Babakhani, with a gun. Babakhani shut himself in the bathroom, where he called 911.
But once police managed to enter the apartment, Seevakumaran was already dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Police later found two packages at a nearby post office with more weapons and ammunition. The former business student had spent approximately $700 on weapons, which police uncovered when they searched the apartment.
While Seevakumaran’s motive remains unclear, his former roommates described him as a “loner”. They had not, however, witnessed any sort of threatening behavior in the past.
Colorado Prison Chief Shot Dead
The Colorado Department of Corrections’ executive director was shot dead at the door of his home on Tuesday. 58-year-old Tom Clements’ death came on the eve of the signing of Colorado’s new gun laws.
Clements was shot at his Monument, Colorado home when he answered his door. The murder appears to have been premeditated, as locals have pointed out that Clements’ home is situated in an isolated woodland area that doesn’t attract many visitors.
Evan Ebel, 28, has been arrested for Clements’ shooting. The murder is another addition to a long list of crimes that Ebel has committed through the years, including charges of felony and robbery.
As the community mourned Clements’ death, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed the new gun legislation. The new law mandates that magazine ammunition be limited to 15 rounds and eight shotgun shells. Background checks are also now required on Colorado residents who wish to purchase guns.
Australian Prime Minister Apologizes for Forced Adoptions
In a historic statement, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard apologized to the thousands of women who, from the Second World War to the early 1970s, were forced to give up their babies for adoption due to their single mother status.
“We acknowledge the profound effects of these policies and practices on fathers and we recognize the hurt these actions caused to brothers and sisters, grandparents, partners and extended family members,” said Gillard. “We deplore the shameful practices that denied you, the mothers, your fundamental rights and responsibilities to love and care for your children.”
Following World War II, thousands of unwed Australian women were forced by government policies to give their babies up for adoption. While various Australian states and territories had issued apologies in the past, a national apology was still in order.
In addition to the apology, Gillard has also committed A$5 million to support services for the separated families and efforts to help reunite biological families broken up by the policies.