2 arrested in Florida spring break 'gang rape' witnessed by hundreds

[one_voice]

Officers have arrested two students on charges of what authorities are calling a Spring Break “gang rape” on a crowded beach in broad daylight, according to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.

And officials expect more arrests in connection with the incident to follow.

During a press conference Friday, BCSO officials announced the arrests of Delonte’ Martistee, 22, and Ryan Austin Calhoun, 23, both students of Troy University in Alabama, on charges in connection with a sexual battery by multiple perpetrators that occurred between March 10-12.

The initial incident went unreported, though it occurred in the presence of hundreds of witnesses on a crowded beach in broad daylight, leaving officials concerned with how much crime has gone unreported or ignored by visitors during Spring Break.

The arrests stem from a video taken in March behind Spinnaker Beach Club, 8795 Thomas Drive. Several men are surrounding an incapacitated young woman on a beach chair. As she tries to remove their hands from her genital region, utterances to the effect of “she isn’t going to know” can be heard from the men.

Sheriff Frank McKeithen fumed as he likened the scene to “wild animals preying on a carcass laying in the woods” and called the video the “most disgusting, sickening thing” he has ever seen.

*snip*

The victim said she thought she had been drugged at the time, and she did not remember the incident enough to report it, she told BCSO.

“She knows something happened, but she doesn’t know what happened,” McKeithen said.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/chi-spring-break-gang-rape-20150411-story.html

[brer cat]

1. Disgusting.

I hope they are able to identify and prosecute every one who participated.

[roguevalley]

32. what the hell is wrong with men? Seriously. I have to ask.

[BlueJazz]

37. I understand your feelings. I feel the same way sometimes. I'll say this in anger >>

Be careful what you say about men. I wrote a simple joke line at the end of a post "Women know those 3 little words.....Men are Pigs"
"T" (most likely) alerted and I almost LOST the Jury. Yeah, I'm still pissed about that one. Just a nice warning.

[Skittles]

61. yet cops are allowed to be called pigs

yup

[CrispyQ]

70. Pigs are wonderful creatures & should not be associated with human vileness.

We used to call the cops The Man. Wish that would come back, cuz there is a whole lotta truth in it.

[seabeyond]

72. i think why bluejazz was called out on that, it was used as a "boys will be boys" kinda manner.

you know, it is in the dna, all men are pigs. we really have no control or responsibility in not raping.....

i think htat is why a lot of people, men included called it out. they were actually offended. and had the mra'rs stating that cant get away saying that shit about women. du is SOOOOO sexist toward men. arent we all ashamed.

i THINK that was the issue.

[awoke_in_2003]

78. they are flunkies of the man. nt

[brer cat]

63. In this case

we also have to ask "what is wrong with the bystanders?" I don't have the answer to either question other than to suggest the acceptance of rape as a norm by some members of our society. The constant sexual objectification of women has led many men to devalue women, and I blame mass media, advertising, and the entertainment industry. We live in a very sick culture.

[Agschmid]

2. Kick.

Horrible...

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

3. Sick fucks

[orpupilofnature57]

8. +1000 !!!!

[shenmue]

4. No words

[orpupilofnature57]

10. Well Said!!!

[840high]

5. Put them in jail for a long time.

[Warpy]

6. If they're "nice boys" from "good families," AKA white,

the jail time, if any, will be minimal.

If they're black, they'll throw the book at them.

Too bad they couldn't arrest everybody on that beach for either watching or ignoring it.

[B2G]

14. Fuck your post

This isn't about race. Good god.

[Warpy]

16. The justice system sure is.

I'd like to see those animals put in cages until their peckers wilt so they can never do it again.

If there is one thing we know about rapists, they tend to be repeaters.

The major failures of our justice system are how it deals with both rape and race.

[B2G]

17. I don't care if they're purple

They need to be gone from society.

[fleur-de-lisa]

21. ^ ^ ^ . . . THIS! - n/t

[Cali_Democrat]

19. Studies show that blacks do more time than whites for the exact same crime.

You seem uncomfortable when people bring up these facts.

[daleanime]

39. It's an uncomfortable fact....

that needs to change. And the influence of money on our 'justice system' needs to stop also.

[BreakfastClub]

60. Another uncomfortable fact: A woman is raped every 2 minutes in this country. nt

[nomorenomore08]

82. Warpy's simply stating the unfortunate truth. Don't shoot the messenger. n/t

[840high]

48. Don't bring race into this.

[BreakfastClub]

59. Why is it that any discussion

about women's rights, rape, violence against women, or any topic related to women must always be sidelined and race immediately brought in to change the subject? It's like some sort of compulsion among some people, usually men, and usually white men oddly enough, that they can't talk about a woman being a victim, and certainly they can't talk about a woman being victimized by a black man, even if the victim herself is black. Oh good LORD no, that doesn't ever happen, does it? And if it does, let's talk about race instead. Hell, let's talk about anything instead of that! Let's not talk about the fact that a woman is sexually assaulted every two minutes in this country. Dear God, we don't want to open that can of worms! Yes, let's talk about race and IGNORE the facts about sexual assaults, and the dirty business of "domestic violence." Eww. Who wants to talk about that anyway, amiright? 20 percent of visits by women to an emergency room are due to domestic violence. Yuck! Who wants to discuss THAT?

I'm pretty sure these interruptions and asides into race have absolutely nothing to do with race and everything to do with changing the subject as quickly as possible. John Lennon was right.

[historylovr]

73. +1

[XemaSab]

74. I have a frienemy who is gay and EVERY time the discussion turns to racism or sexism

he pulls the "As an educated gay white man from a middle-class background, I have it far worse."

Oppression Olympics is some bullshit. When we're talking about rape of a woman in front of hundreds of bystanders, let's talk about how women are chattel. When we're talking about the racist justice system, then let's talk about the racist justice system.

Your post is spot on. Welcome to DU.

[seabeyond]

76. +1. nt

[BainsBane]

81. "Olympics oppression"

Great term, and it is entirely self-defeating.

[mythology]

7. I don't understand how there are so many sexual assaults with multiple attackers

I can't imagine asking any of my friends "hey do you want to attack that woman?" and thinking they are going to be okay with it, much less join in.

Hopefully any and all other perpetrators can be caught since there is apparently video evidence.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

51. Excessive drinking of alcohol comes to mind.

[raccoon]

9. And it just happens there's a video of this. Think how many times similar things

have happened...and went completely unreported.

This is disgusting, and disgusting that nobody called for help.

[EL34x4]

24. This went completely unreported

The cops didn't run across the video until they went to investigate a nearby shooting. One of the witnesses to the shooting had it on his cell phone. The victim didn't remember what happened to her and didn't report a crime.

[B2G]

15. This place is bipolar.

[okasha]

18. Prison will help the women they'd rape if they were free.

If they had an atom of empathy or compassion, they wouldn't be predators.

[fleur-de-lisa]

26. Umm, no. I don't buy the 'misguided' argument in this case.

Knowing whether it's okay to rape an incapacitated woman or not has nothing to do with 'issues' and getting jobs. Rape is an extremely violent offence, not a misdemeanor.

I'm pretty sure the victim doesn't want or need 'restitution'. She needs justice. These rapists need to go to prison, for a long time.

[seabeyond]

27. you are arguing that young men do not recognize gang rape? that they are just confused?

why would that be?

[BainsBane]

33. Every fucking time

There is a thread about rape or gang rape, someone comes along to talk about how the poor rapists shouldn't have their lives ruined by jail. Last time the person said they shouldn't have to go to jail "for nothing." Remember? Now this? I've really had it with women's lives being treated like nothing. They clamor for bankers to be put in jail because they committed a crime against something of value---money, property, vs. rapists who only assault women, who don't count enough to have violent crimes against them result in jail time.

[XemaSab]

38. ^This^

"She didn't put up a fight so it wasn't real rape."

"She was asking for it."

"What was she wearing?"

"She should have been more careful."

"Those boys made a mistake."

This is the voice of rape culture.

[seabeyond]

40. i want the poster to explain to me how these men are "confused" about gang raping a girl. nt

[seabeyond]

42. yes. have the damn threads of the 17 yr old with adult teacher and the men run around

with hair on fire how unfair men are treated compared to women. though there is not a woman on this board not calling it what it is. and has been a zillion times more outspoken, regardless the gender.

a girl raped? gang raped? oh.... the 15 yr old eventually pulled out after she said no no no no no, he was about a fuggin' hero, a fuggin toddler raped, and you always have the apologists.

[seabeyond]

46. this poster is feeling incredibly like the crowd of hundreds that turned their back on this girl. nt

[BlancheSplanchnik]

50. ^^^ this^^^

Me too. Sick of the double standard. Sick of the people who stand around and watch women brutalized.


Too fucking angry to think of anything to say....

[seabeyond]

53. almost a 7-0. almost. surprise.

These misguided young men need counseling not jail
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6491898

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

YOUR COMMENTS

Gang raped a girl with hundreds watching and videoing, misguided and need counseling. This poster has always come right to the line of a troll, but this one is too far. This is a rape apologist and they do not belong on DU. To excuse gang rape of a girl does not deserve jail time is barbaric and this poster throws out an offensive flame and makes no further comment. Skinner should take a look at this posters history.

JURY RESULTS

A randomly-selected Jury of DU members completed their review of this alert at Sat Apr 11, 2015, 11:39 PM, and voted 6-1 to HIDE IT.

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: I agree with the alerter's assessment of this post. Flaming flamebait. Rapists are not misguided little lambs, they are predators of the worst kind.
Juror #4 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: I have seen some really stupid posts today but yours takes the cake today.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: I disagree with the post. I think the poster should be taken to task in the thread.

[BainsBane]

54. That alert is spot on

At first I got really pissed off. Then I thought about it and it occurred to me that was likely the reaction he wanted. Something smells dank and musty there.

[seabeyond]

55. would have gone to skinner if juror 7 had taken a look at the subthread and seen MANY had

already addressed the rape apologist and a hide warranted.

[BainsBane]

56. All alerts go to the administrators

7-0 also go to MIRT

[seabeyond]

69. if that is the new rule, then i am once again disappointed.

pretty damn sure they are not gonna look at all hides, or worse, alerts.

had a little more hope if it was the very few 7-0.

[NuclearDem]

77. I don't think the poster was serious.

From experience, I'm willing to bet that was a strawman aimed at making advocates for inmates' rights look like rapist apologists.

[BainsBane]

80. After my initial anger

I realized he was shit stirring.

[nomorenomore08]

83. Bingo!

[BainsBane]

29. WTF?

They committed a brutal, violent crime. Naturally a violent crime against women isn't serious enough for jail time for you. That's for more important crimes against property, something of value.


No wonder rapists act with impunity. Not only does the crime go unreported, but people like you make excuses for rapists.

[A Little Weird]

31. Are you kidding??

Too many men are being warehoused in jail on bullshit drug charges and I have sympathy for that. But rapists and murderers belong in jail. Hopefully they will be out of society for a long time as well as any other perpetrators of this disgusting act. The fact that so many people witnessed this and did nothing makes me sick.

[OldRedneck]

35. Well, at least . . .

At least if they are in prison, they won't be raping any more women.

[BainsBane]

41. No, two have only just been arrested

There hasn't been a conviction and they haven't even arrested all the perps.

[daleanime]

43. It's true that we sent a lot of people to jail that we shouldn't....

but that not true of rapist. In fact more need to go to jail not fewer.

[seabeyond]

44. you cannot make a disgusting statement like this, ignoring rape of our girls, and just walk away.

how cowardly to not address the people challenging your consideration of rapists..... it is like a purposeful flame, using a girl that was gang raped. what kind of poster does that?

[linuxman]

45. I'd lurked here for several years before registering, and in that time there were never any

shortages of rape threads. I've seen a lot of different responses about what should become of the perpetrators of these crimes, but I must say that this is the first time I've ever seen someone suggest counseling in place of prison. Is there something in particular about this crime that would make you gravitate towards counseling as an appropriate response to these pieces of shit and their particular crime?

[nomorenomore08]

84. It was really poor sarcasm/irony. Evidently conflating drug crimes with sexual assault. n/t

[muntrv]

52. These suspects are adults and they knew what they were doing. No excuses.

[BainsBane]

12. The fact that hundreds witnessed the crime

and no one intervened or reported it to police is stark evidence of rape culture. I find that every bit as horrific as the crime itself.

[one_voice]

13. I agree with you...

Not only did no one help, at least one person recorded it.

Officers discovered the video while searching the phone of a witness to the shooting and contacted

[ScreamingMeemie]

65. .

[Ptah]

22. My thoughts exactly.

The initial incident went unreported, though it occurred in the
presence of hundreds of witnesses on a crowded beach in broad daylight

The initial incident went unreported, though it occurred in the
presence of hundreds of witnesses on a crowded beach in broad daylight

[seabeyond]

25. rape porn is a fav..... boys are being raised on it. i expect nothing different, why would we? nt

[BainsBane]

28. It would also appear that's why someone took a video of it

He clearly had no intention of reporting it to police, so he had another purpose in mind for the recording.

[seabeyond]

30. right. nt

[ripcord]

58. How the hell do you witness something like this

and not step in? Abuse of women should never be tolerated, 18 years ago I saw a guy in a bar punch his girlfriend in the mouth and I beat the living crap out of him, I did some time in LA county jail but it didn't make me think I had done anything wrong. At the minimum someone should have called the cops.

[brer cat]

62. I agree, BainsBane.

I consider those who watched and did nothing as guilty as the rapers. If the bystanders are afraid to intervene, they can use their phones to call 911 before they use them to record the crime, and then turn the video over to the leos. Any other use of the video should be considered a crime imo.

"Staying aware of rape culture is painful work, but we can’t interrupt the culture of violence unless we are willing to see it for what it is." Alana Prochuk, WAVAW’s C.A.R.E. About Gendered Violence at Vancouver Community College Coordinator.

It is painful work, as well as heart-breaking. Even on this progressive forum the deniers come out in force whenever the subject comes up.

[Blue_Adept]

64. If she was drugged as it looks to be...

then she likely didn't resist (video will certainly show one way or the other) and that means the bystanders that did see the event likely thought it was just a couple being far more exhibitionist than they should be, and didn't think much more than that.

"spring break will be spring break" is likely the mantra for many in this kind of situation, unfortunately.

But on a crowded beach of hundreds of bystanders, how many actually saw what happened? There's this assumption in the thread that all the bystanders saw something. Pretty doubtful.

But those that did see it, for the most part, probably thought it was just a group going further than they should and didn't think more than that.

[seabeyond]

68. my 17 yr old son and i discussed this last night. and we actually talked about that.

i talked about three cases. this one. another were a girl was being raped on a campus and bikers saw. and another time with a crowd gathered watching.

that they very well may be having sex and who wants to get involved. that was the case of a crowd watching, until an older woman finally broke from the crowd and asked the girl if she gave consent and the girl said no. the rape was stopped. the woman braved the uncomfortable, at her personal expense to ask. son said as much as we do not want to be a part of that mess, the simple interruption of a wanted sex, then tell them.... go get a fuckin room. it is not our responsibility to look the other way, as others demand of us. but do not hesitate in interrupting. that older woman caught a rapist and stopped a rape in action.

the one with the bikers? if fearful then yell out first. the rapist stopped and ran. the bikers took off after him, they did not have to if fearful. but that did stop the rape.

regardless, our children need to be taught not to be conditioned to not interfere, or assume it is consensual. the simple fact it is in public allows them an obligation to say something if nothing else, to make sure it is not rape.

i also did some shaming. told him. i will never know if he does right, in these situations, that is all on him. but, shame on him if he does turn his back, or worse, participates in silence or video.

[Ms. Toad]

20. So why the air quotes around gang rape?

(I know they are from the original article - not the OP).

I saw no explanation about why the authors wrote the story as if they didn't believe the woman was raped by multiple men.

[EL34x4]

23. Because "gang rape" is slang

The correct legalese is "sexual battery by multiple perpetrators". Same reason they put quotes around "last call" to describe that time in the early morning when bars will serve one final drink.

[Ms. Toad]

79. Hmm . . . that also explains the air quotes around:

Sexually attacking (paragraph 1 - the legal terminology is "commits sexual battery upon" )
Assault (paragraph 3 - assault, in legal terms, is a threat - not actual touching)
Performs a sexual act (~paragraph 10: the legal terminology is oral, anal, or vaginal penetration by, or union with, the sexual organ of another or the anal or vaginal penetration of another by any other object)

Wait - there are none.

Newspapers don't write in legalese. The use of air quotes implies that in some sense she is not a real victim - in this case likely because she was drunk or stoned (from the context in the article).

[BlueJazz]

34. I almost feel dirty just reading about it.

[QC]

36. The sheriff says he has several other videos like this one

that he is investigating.

Spring break has gotten out of hand, to say the least.

[seabeyond]

47. drug 'em, make a video, put it on the net, for others to get off on. sick little bottom feeders.

no problems here.

[QC]

49. Yep. Several shootings and gang rapes, about 50 guns confiscated,

molly all over the place, several booze deaths. The whole thing has gone too far.

We're a long way from the days of college kids drinking beer on the beach.

[In_The_Wind]

66. I don't understand why no one stopped this!

[cali]

67. this is horrifying on a number of levels

what bothers me most is that no one stepped in.

[seabeyond]

71. if either boy had ever wanted to do spring break, it would have been a simple no.

i do not see how a parent, whether a son or daughter, would allow this. we had our major news chanels use spring break as a T & A filmfest for a couple of years, a while back.

as a parent there is no way i would allow. and especially not at my dollar.

[XemaSab]

75. Not the first time

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Kitty_Genovese

[nomorenomore08]

85. ...

I have literally nothing else to say. This shit is unbelievable.