DA will NOT file charges against Roethlisberger (Oakland, Penn: credit, calculated)

[wycoff]

Originally Posted by TelecasterBlues

I know that he wasn't found "guilty", but the DA's press conference more or less spelled it out that Ben got the girl drunk intentionally and used his bodyguard to set up some bathroom time.

He intentionally got the woman drunk?!? She was following him from bar to bar. At what point does the woman have to be culpable for her own actions? People act as though Roethlisberger lured an 8 year old to his sex den and drugged her. He bought an adult woman drinks at a bar. Big deal. He was drinking too.

His body guard was a police officer. Accusations that he used the bodyguard to trap the girl in the bathroom are basically accusing a sober police officer of being an accessory to rape. That's a strong accusation.

In general I can't believe how one sided this whole thing has been. People have been on a crusade to crucify Roethlisberger. The DA said that he didn't even have enough for probable cause- that's a low standard. Conflicting stories and multiple denials by the girl- seems like a weak case to me

[wycoff]

Originally Posted by Hopes

It bothers me that she was drunk. That alone would make it impossible for her to consent. If she was as drunk as reported, Ben should have known that she couldn't consent.

Even if he's drunk too?

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by wycoff

He intentionally got the woman drunk?!? She was following him from bar to bar. At what point does the woman have to be culpable for her own actions?

This.

As far as I'm concerned, the alleged victim is just as stupid as Roethlisberger is. And anybody who says that he should have checked her ID first...well, she could have just as easily refused the drink(s?) he bought for her.

I see this **** happen all the time in the college town I live in. A woman spends two hours looking for the sleaziest outfit to fit her mood, puts on so much makeup that people could ski down the sides of her nose, and then goes to the club, charging $30 to daddy's credit card to purchase a poisonous amount of alcohol, dancing with the first collar-poppin' douchebag who buys her yet another drink she doesn't need (and can't handle anyway), and then following said douchebag back to his frat house where he -- and possibly one or more friends of his -- decide to make some homemade porno with her as the "star." Then, when they kick her ass out the door, she either walks home alone or goes crying to somebody in search of sympathy she doesn't deserve.

Plain and simple, ladies: if you're drunk, then I have no sympathy for you if you make a decision you regret.

[Copanut]

Always worked for me!!!

[wycoff]

Originally Posted by Gnutella

Plain and simple, ladies: if you're drunk, then I have no sympathy for you if you make a decision you regret.

My problem is that the law is set up so that woman can destroy a man's reputation with impunity. If the accuser's name is not to be released, then the accuser's name should be not be released either. A woman can have completely consensual sex with a guy, go and report him for rape, claim that the physical remnants of the consensual sex is actually evidence of sexual assault and thereby ruin a man's reputation.

The sexism in the reporting of this story is rampant. Even my wife is sick of the damsel in distress spin that's being put on it. They're treating a 20 year old college sorority sister (probably a college junior) with a fake ID as being someone of unassailable virtue or as being a naieve victim of Ben Roethlisberger, the depraved sexual predator mastermind. A Woman can go to the bar looking to get laid just as much as a man can. A Woman can get drunk and horny just like a man can. However, a woman who regrets her decision can claim that the man assaulted her. A man can't do the same.

I started out pissed at Ben, but the media and the "fans" have been so savage and unfair that I can't help but defend him.

Rape is a terrible crime, and I don't think that any woman, no matter how drunk, deserves to get raped. I've worked at a woman's shelter, I feel pity for rape and abuse victims. However, I've also met women who are liars, women who are spiteful, women who are vindictive. I know that there can be ulterior motives behind accusations.

There are too many holes and inconsistencies in the story for me to think that this was a drunken misunderstanding at best, or a cruel set-up by over-eager sorority sisters at worst. Keep in mind that the DA was relying completely on the account of the accuser, yet still didn't even find probable cause.

[Copanut]

2.7 blood alcohol, she was knocking them down.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by wycoff

Rape is a terrible crime, and I don't think that any woman, no matter how drunk, deserves to get raped. I've worked at a woman's shelter, I feel pity for rape and abuse victims. However, I've also met women who are liars, women who are spiteful, women who are vindictive. I know that there can be ulterior motives behind accusations.

You left out stupid, promiscuous women with no self control.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Hopes

It seems the police took her claim seriously; however, her contradictory statements make it difficult to procecute regardless of how common it is for victims to be confused.

It bothers me that she was drunk. That alone would make it impossible for her to consent. If she was as drunk as reported, Ben should have known that she couldn't consent.

And the law does allow for people to be charged if they take advantage of people who incapable of consenting. Charges should be filed for that reason alone.

Being drunk does not alone negate consent or the ability to consent, and that's why he wasn't charged on that basis alone. That and the fact that the main thrust of the DA's decision seems to be that there wasn't enough physical evidence of a sexual act at all, drunk or not.

Originally Posted by neurodistortion

In this world, nothing surprises me anymore. He very well could've done what Little Mizz is suggesting. Also, did he even know the girl's age when he bought her those drinks? She was underage to begin with.

Since she was in a bar, I would say he's entitled to the presumption that she was 21, at least for purposes of buying her drinks.

[aveojohn]

The DA should be sued for defamation, he made Ben out to be a rapist. In my opinion, Ben is stupid for putting himself in this position, but I don't think it was rape. She went willingly, if it was rape why wasn't she yelling and screaming? Drunk and stupid was more like it. Ben needs his azz kicked and needs to grow up real quick. If true he paid out 7 million, maybe he'll think twice before pulling this stunt again. Money has a funny way of doing that.

[groar]

how do you know she wasn't yelling and screaming? you still have no idea what actually happened in that bathroom. none of us do. the only inconsistency in her story, as reported by the d.a., is that immediately after the incident she said she wasn't raped. you people seem to think that rape only happens when a stranger pulls a screaming woman into an alley and forcefully violates her (probably while on videotape), leaving a perfect trail of dna evidence. it's all clear cut, the victim is not at all confused afterwards, case closed. it's just not that simple and i think i've explained things enough times in other posts that you should be able to understand that.

the incidence of verifiably false rape accusations is incredibly low. you guys act as if women are constantly running around falsely accusing men of rape. what's actually much more common is unreported instances of rape. accusing someone of rape and bringing the case to trial is an extremely scary and humiliating process for a victim. and it's people like the ones in this thread who instantly start looking for reasons that a woman "asked for it" who help make it that way.

i don't want to downplay how awful being falsely accused of rape is; it can follow a person around for the rest of their life and that's not right. lying about being raped is a despicable thing to do. but this idea that women just run around all the time tempting men into sex and then crying rape is just absurd. especially when it happens twice, maybe 3 times, to the same guy.

according to this woman's testimony, she did not make a decision while drunk to have sex with roethlisberger. she said she told him no and tried to get away from him, and when he had her trapped he forced himself on her. whether you believe her is another story, but based on her testimony (which is backed up by her friends being concerned enough to take her to the police IMMEDIATELY AFTER the incident), what happened cannot be classified as a decision on her part.