The trial of three former Carson High School students accused of
raping a UCLA student in the dormitories during the 2002-2003
school year is in its third week, and the process is likely to last
for at least another month.
Though the defendants ““ Chuwan Anthony, Jamar Dawson and
DeShawn Stringer ““ were under the age of 18 when the alleged
crimes occurred, they are being tried as adults because of the
nature and severity of the crimes, which means they could face
prison time if convicted.
All three defendants are now 18. Stringer could be sentenced to
up to 34 years in prison, while Anthony and Dawson could face 42
years, said Jane Robinson, an L.A. County District Attorney’s
Office spokeswoman.
The trial, which began May 4, will likely last into June,
Robinson added.
On May 6, the victim, who is still a UCLA student, testified she
had said “no” several times during the incident, but
did not resist because she didn’t know what would happen if
she did, according to a Los Angeles Times article published May
7.
“I had never met him before, and I didn’t know what
he was like or what he would do,” she said, according to the
Times. “I already said “˜no’ several times, and he
was still persistent. I didn’t resist. I didn’t know
what would happen if I would.”
Defense attorneys in the case have argued that the sex was
consensual, focusing on the fact that the victim did not
immediately report the crime and instead turned in two papers,
attended class, and went to the student health center, according to
the Times.
Also according to the Times story, the prosecution is expected
to call witnesses who can testify on rape trauma syndrome, which
can cause victims to be confused and disoriented.
The UCLA Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center’s Web site
stresses that each victim may react differently to rape, and that
the symptoms of rape trauma syndrome may initially include shock
and disbelief.
“You may feel numb and dazed, withdrawn and distant from
other people. You may want to forget about what happened and avoid
people or situations that remind you of the assault,” the Web
site reads.
The Times reported that the victim testified that, after the
alleged rape, she could only concentrate on turning in papers for a
class that she had been working on before the incident and were due
that day.
The rape is reported to have occurred Dec. 5, 2002, when the
defendants were visiting UCLA on a school-sponsored trip. The three
left their tour group and entered the Fir Grove building of the De
Neve residential housing complex, where they allegedly raped the
student.
The allegations of rape stunned university housing residents,
who remained worried about their safety, although university police
apprehended the suspects within 24 hours of the time the crime was
reported.
Though De Neve Plaza’s main entrances and doors are
protected by locks, individual buildings don’t have check-in
desks. This means non-residents can gain access to the buildings
without identifying themselves if someone who lives there lets them
in.
Compiled by Charlotte Hsu and Robert Salonga, Bruin senior
staff, and Ari Bloomekatz, Bruin staff