Consequences

I'm in law.  That's the field I chose to ply my skills and as a public services Librarian, I see "things."  From all things civil to all things criminal, I've seen and heard most all of it.  It should come as no surprise to me, then, when I read articles that might shock the conscience of "normal" men.  That's normal as in people who don't see the evil wo/men do (or can do) every day.

Today, I read an story that bothered me.  Seems a young girl was at a party.  Underage (i.e. a minor) and drinking, she became drunk and passed out.  Subsequently, three predatory boys pounced and sexually assaulted her AND took pictures of themselves doing so.  Subsequently, the boys circulated the photos online.  Subsequently the young girl, now mortified at what had happened to her whilst being passed out drunk, believed that gossip swirled around her at exponential rates.  As a consequence, she committed suicide by hanging herself.  Because the kids received mere days (maybe a couple weeks) in jail, a wrongful death action was brought by the parents.

What is particularly annoying about this story is the line where one of the attorneys says, "Depending on what the jury decides, the kids will look at this and see there may be consequences..."  MAY be consequences?!?  Three males RAPE a female and there MAY be consequences?!???  Where is the outrage by women's groups?  Where is Gloria Allred?  I mean, if someone did this to my baby girls, I'd go all Rambo on these freaks!  Maybe I'm a prude but I've gotta wonder why the parents of these male kids were not also penalized for the acts of their kids.  I mean, these parents must be freakin royalty (or be related to Obama) to keep their names out of newsprint and/or themselves out of prison.

It is truly a sad commentary on society when adults think, even after the violation of a person that there is still a question that these kids might not experience any consequence for their actions.  Sadder still are the adults who condone this sort of actions and seek to avoid any adverse consequences.  I guess that's what Karma is for - it smacks everyone upside their head, eventually.