Universities Under Investigation Re: Handling Sexual Assault

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by honorgal

On of my peeves with the Winston case and the New York Times piece is the accusation that Florida State and the TPD protected him because he was their star football player. This narrative doesn't fit with the facts, but it's an easy sell to folks because using 20/20 hindsight is just human nature. When the alleged assault and initial investigation took place, Jameis Winston wasn't the star quarterback/Heisman contender that he was when the accusations were made public. He was a just another football player on the team, although the fans who follow recruiting closely would recognize his name.

In July of last year (after the Winston alleged assault but before it became public) the TPD charged Greg Dent, who was expected to be a starting receiver with the Seminoles, with sexual assault and the team suspended and then dismissed him.

Does it make sense that the police and the University would protect an unproven player while contemporaneously hanging a star out to dry immediately? No, it doesn't, but the media does love to sell their narrative to an unsuspecting public.

Does it really matter whether it was malice or incompetence? The bottom line here is that they did a shitty job of investigating.

[honorgal]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Does it really matter whether it was malice or incompetence? The bottom line here is that they did a shitty job of investigating.

I don't know that they did or didn't, because we don't have all the facts. The school is constrained by very strict confidentiality rules (designed to protect victims) and the TPD is constrained by our legal system - ie, they need probable cause to arrest Winston. The accuser's attorney is under no such constraints and can lob accusations to the media.

The police report very clearly states that the investigation reached a point where the accuser was unsure of whether she wanted to go forward with a complaint. They left the case open, pending a time when the accuser might change her mind. The accuser's attorney has disputed this claim by TPD but has offered nothing to back it up.

[honorgal]

From the initial police report: "This case is being suspended at this time due to a lack of cooperation from the victim. If the victim decides to press charges, the case will be pursued."