The night of August 11, 2012, changed the way America viewed Steubenville, Ohio forever. A 16-year-old female from West Virginia, who the media named “Jane Doe,” was severely intoxicated to the point of unconsciousness. Doe was then dragged across the town by two Steubenville High School football players, Trent Mays and Ma’lik Richmond, while they raped her and sexually assaulted her at three different locations. Although Mays and Richmond were both 17 at the time, their names were released to the press, due to the seriousness of their crimes.
Although this story is far too often heard of, the Steubenville Rape Case was different due to the role that social media played throughout the night. Students of Steubenville documented the night through photos and videos shared via Twitter, Instagram, and text message. Photos were taken that show Doe being held up by two men at the arms and legs. Other photos of Doe were shared that showed her without clothes on. The text messages and photos taken were released, which caused national outrage. Thousands of people protested how the police department handled the evidence.
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A week after the sexual assault took place, Mays and Richmond were arrested. In 2013, Trent Mays and Ma’lik Richmond were convicted of rape and sentenced to spend time in a juvenile detention facility. Mays spent almost two years in the detention center, whereas Richmond only spent about a year. Furthermore, they were required to register as sex offenders every six months for the next twenty years. In 2014, Ma’lik Richmond was able to reduce how often he had to register on a sex offender list. This was brought down to once a year for ten years.
Media coverage of the events that transpired found sympathy for the two football players, and blamed the victim of the attack for what happened to her. News reporters were quoted, stating that it was “such a shame the young men’s football careers would be over.” Nate Hubbard, a coach of the two young men, stated that the young girl claimed rape to cover up her actions. Furthermore, Hubbard is quoted as stating, “What else are you going to tell your parents when you come home drunk like that and after a night like that?”
Then, in 2017, Richmond sued Youngstown State College after being benched due to backlash the school received after allowing him to play, despite his conviction. He was denied one year of football eligibility by the school. Two weeks later, Ma’lik Richmond’s father, Nathaniel Richmond, shot a judge who was presiding over a wrongful-death civil case filed by Richmond after his mother was killed in a house fire. Nathaniel Richmond was then shot and killed by a probation officer.
Nearly five years later, the Steubenville Rape Case is still relevant. On Thursday, April 19, 2018, Ma’lik Richmond appealed his sex offender registry requirements. Richmond believed that he should no longer have to register as a sex offender, and Ohio laws mandate that those convicted as teenagers are allowed to appeal their names from the list. Trent Mays is also looking to appeal his sex offender registry requirements. However, the state opposed Richmond’s request.
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The Steubenville Rape Case still garners attention, due to the role social media played in the case. After being the first of its kind, other survivors of stories like this one hope for justice within their own cases. Victim blaming continues to occur in America, and far too often perpetrators of sexually aggressive behaviors are not held accountable for their crimes. However, with continued efforts and fights, and through the strength of women demanding change, there is hope for a brighter future. The #MeToo Movement seeks to change the trends surrounding rape culture and gives hope towards a society where sexual assault and rape are not prevailing issues.