A female student at St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire has accused an older student of raping her as part of a senior class ritual/contest where guys try to have sex with as many frosh females as possible before graduation. The teen who was raped underwent a grueling cross-examination in which the slightest deviation from any previously-narrated element of the incident was used to paint her as a liar. Texts where she was not-rude to her assailant after the assault were trotted out to "prove" that the sex was consensual.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
But why is SHE being treated as the one on trial? It is a FACT that she was 15 at the time. The age of consent in NH is 16 - this, for the meaning-of-words-challenged, means she was legally incapable of giving consent. She could have performed a strip-tease and begged him to have her - legally, it would still be statutory rape.
There's a "Romeo and Juliet" exception, but NOT if there is penetration:
Romeo and Juliet Exceptions
Many states have enacted “Romeo and Juliet” exceptions to statutory rape laws. Named for Shakespeare’s characters, these exceptions protect young people from criminal charges as a result of consensual sexual activity with other teens. In New Hampshire, it is not a crime to engage in consensual sexual conduct short of penetration with a person over the age of 13 unless the defendant is at least five years older, and consensual penetration with a person over the age of 13 by a person within four years in age is a misdemeanor and the defendant is not required to register as a sex offender.
For example, a 17-year-old who engages in consensual fondling with a 14-year-old has not committed a crime in New Hampshire. Engaging in consensual sex with a 15-year-old is a felony if the defendant is 27 years old, but only a misdemeanor if the defendant is 18 years old.
http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/...
Can someone explain to me why we even need a trial? No one denies they had sex, not even the perp. So he's a rapist, end of story. Why are we tormenting this girl and wasting taxpayer money when legally there is absolutely no doubt about his guilt?