I Was Gang Raped at a UVA Frat 30 Years Ago, and No One Did Anything

[eridani]

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/27534-i-was-gang-raped-at-a-uva-frat-30-years-ago-and-no-one-did-anything

I was gang-raped at the University of Virginia. I was gang raped at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house.

We are all left with questions and opinions in the exhausting wake of the now-infamous Rolling Stone article about campus sexual assault, and how victims are treated at the University of Virginia.

This is my story.

In August 1984, I arrived at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, eager to jump into college life. As a sheltered, shy, but ambitious child growing up in suburban Westchester County, New York, my choice struck some as very far away, very “Southern.” Most of my contemporaries from my all-girls high school in Rye, New York, were headed north to Boston or other parts of New England, to so many of the liberal arts colleges in much colder climes. My parents were thrilled with my choice, even though I had never even paid the campus a visit during the application process. I knew I wanted to go to UVA for one major reason: It had the country’s most highly ranked English department, my major of choice.

I had graduated as valedictorian, and as I packed my belongings for the trip the Charlottesville, I was prepared to make my mark at the wonderful institution founded by Thomas Jefferson. But, those hopes were to be dashed about five weeks into my college career. I was 17 years old.

[shenmue]

1. ...

[Warpy]

2. The tests she needed were for what kind of shit was in that drink.

Those had to be done at a real hospital.

I'm surprised she got a conviction against that piece of shit but I'm delighted she did. He was only in the joint for 6 months because he was ruling class and boys will be boys.

I was lucky, the only frat rush I went to was a dry rush, first big joke, and I was enough of a looker to be paired up with one of the brothers, second big joke. Attempts to pour booze down my throat didn't work, I'd been a drunk at 13 and was way over it. I ditched the guy and left the party and went upstairs to wait until my roommate had had enough, found the house mother and her boyfriend, and played a few hours of very enjoyable cutthroat casino.

If I'd been at all naive about alcohol, I might likely have ended up raped that night.

[ismnotwasm]

5. Yeah

I wasn't in college but I'd go to frat parties for the booze, drugs and music. We'd make fun of them afterword. The crowd I hung around was fairly rough--definitely hit and run at those parties. Those college boys got out of control quick.

One time, me and a friend went to party with 3 young men-- sex wasn't on our minds. One of the young men started acting aggressively and the other two made sure we got out of the house. I doubt it was out of respect, they thought they got a hold of promiscuous "bad girls", (I saw this type over and over again during my drunken, impoverished years, BTW, men who thought poor women either needed "saving" expecting sexual graditute, or men who thought waitress poor or welfare poor meant they'd get laid)
but they didn't want trouble. And that friend of theirs was a lot of trouble.

[bluestateguy]

3. this was on Dateline a few years ago

Beebe was convincted for a crime that was committed years before Virginia abolished parole. Hence, the old rules applied and he got out in six months.

[freshwest]

4. Sure that RS won't touch this one. Will sweep it under the rug, just like Jackie.

[ismnotwasm]

6. Yup

Nailed it

[chervilant]

7. Robert Canevari retired in 1998, after 33 years as Dean of Students.

In the official announcement, someone wrote:

"He has been sympathetic, wise and generous in representing student interests in the University's ongoing discussion about how to be a better university and a better community. He really stands for excellence and decency within the University."

Apparently, he was "sympathetic, wise and generous" for anyone BUT rape survivors.