Another 14 year-old girl bullied to death ...

[Anthony K. S.]

it's not beyond the realms of possibility that she made up a story about being raped cuz she regretted having sex

Folks, if you haven't already, take another look at the article linked in the OP. It's been updated, and it appears that it was consensual sex, after all.

The guy still isn't innocent. An 18-year-old having consensual sex with a 14-year-old is statutory rape. But there is a huge difference between that and forcibly raping an unwilling person.

I believe that everybody in this case is at fault, including Samantha Kelly. We can grieve for her, but we don't have to absolve her of blame for what she did.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Exactly; an eighteen year old boy sleeping with a fourteen year old girl is commiting the crime of sleeping with an underage girl. But he is nowhere near as bad as a person who forces another person to have sex and should not be vilified and abused.

There seems to be a disturbing theme in cases like this where an accused person is always presumed guilty... and believe me, women who cry rape are around, and are more common than you'd think. Sometimes a girl has sex, then regrets it; or she calls up the guy afterwards, gets the brushoff then cries rape for revenge.

The fact that Samantha killed herself does not make her an innocent angel.

[kibbles]

Only if he's guilty. Just cuz she's dead, does not mean that what she said was true.

Before everyone jumps on me for this; no, I'm not saying that she was definitely lying, just that it's not beyond the realms of possibility that she made up a story about being raped cuz she regretted having sex. Which would mean that the boy in question does not deserve to have his life ruined thru her actions.

Yes, she's dead, but she made the decision to end her life; no-one forced her to do so. Rather than get all up in arms and assuming automatically that her story is the correct one, best to direct all vitrol towards the subhumans who are attacking her. That Facebook page should be taken down and the person who set it up banned from the site.

I so agree with this 100% The Facebook page should absolutely be taken down and people who are making comments after her death are disgusting.

But I agree she made her own decisions and there she lied about what really happened and if someone lied about a friend, I doubt there is anyone who would continue to treat that person nice or with respect.

[Plaidman]

Regardless if it was consenual or not isn't the point. It would be no different to me if it was raped or commited. Hell, she could have raped him for all I care.

Doesn't give them the right to insult and bully an woman that made a mistake. Did she mess up by saying rape? Yeah. Does this mean she needs to be treated like a villain or scum? No.

School students protect student rapists enough already (That story about a girl being gangraped at school in front of everyone, and they just decide to watch and videotape rather then call the police spring to mind). She shouldn't be slandered in death. Let her have the peace she deserves.

[Andara Bledin]

Outside of the issue at hand, which is uncontrolled bullying leading to a child's decision to end her life, I am quite disappointed in how quickly the pitchforks and torches are brought to bear against the accused, and now acquitted, other party.

It is also worth noting, that even before the update, it's mentioned that the girl's statement changed fundamentally between the original telling, and the telling that resulted in her being reviled by her classmates.

Finally, one last question that comes to mind: Where was her mother in all of this? Why was she still sending a girl, who has already attempted suicide, back into the situation that drove her to that first attempt?

^-.-^

[Plaidman]

Because she lost her daughter to them.

Maybe the last converstation with her about it, was that she was indeed raped by so and so, not that it was consensual.

Now not only has she lost her daughter, but people are clamouring that she is also a liar, a slut, attention seeker, a person that tries to get cool people in trouble etc.

Her daughter's memory is getting slaughter. Every thing she does to try to defend her daughter gets shot down and beaten worst.

Frankly I'd be doing the same if I had a child that did the same thing.

[Greenday]

Outside of the issue at hand, which is uncontrolled bullying leading to a child's decision to end her life, I am quite disappointed in how quickly the pitchforks and torches are brought to bear against the accused, and now acquitted, other party.

He only was acquitted of statutory rape because the only witness is dead. Consensual or not, that's still rape.

[Andara Bledin]

I was speaking only of him being acquitted of forcing her, not of him being an idiot.

^-.-^

[kibbles]

I agree that the slandering and disgusting posts are just that..disgusting and vile. People should have sense enough to have respect for the dead.

But I don't know many who would befriend another person or be nice to them if they purposely tried to ruin a friend's life for revenge. JMO.

[Peppergirl]

Sorry, but even if I put aside the fact that it was consentual sex - it still doesn't excuse the vile and disgusting comments being made on that page.

I'm not excusing what she did. At all. But, no one deserves that. No one.

[blas87]

That and the point still stands that an 18 year old guy has no business sleeping with a 14 year old girl. Most 14 year old girls are naive, precocious, and impressionable, aka, easy. So he's a scuzzball and doesn't deserve excuses.

[the_std]

That and the point still stands that an 18 year old guy has no business sleeping with a 14 year old girl. Most 14 year old girls are naive, precocious, and impressionable, aka, easy. So he's a scuzzball and doesn't deserve excuses.

Yeah, it couldn't possibly be that he actually liked her, or perhaps was less mature than those of his age group and therefore found her easier to relate to than people of his own age... There are many reasons that an 18-year old guy can go for a 14-year old girl. And how do you know he's a scuzzball? This whole situation is very unfortunate, but making snap judgments about him is just sad. I won't use this to excuse the statutory rape charge - it's valid and he should have thought about the consequences of his actions before going ahead with what he did, but how does anyone here know he did it just because he was older and she was easy?

[Kaylyn]

Did FB take the page down? Because I clicked the link to the FB page and it took me straight to my FB home page...

[Plaidman]

Yeah, it couldn't possibly be that he actually liked her, or perhaps was less mature than those of his age group and therefore found her easier to relate to than people of his own age... There are many reasons that an 18-year old guy can go for a 14-year old girl. And how do you know he's a scuzzball? This whole situation is very unfortunate, but making snap judgments about him is just sad. I won't use this to excuse the statutory rape charge - it's valid and he should have thought about the consequences of his actions before going ahead with what he did, but how does anyone here know he did it just because he was older and she was easy?

Sorry, but judging from the sheer amount of people that are trashing her, people putting her down and defending her, proves that he is NOT short of friends or admires, he could have anyone he wants. He chose a 14 year old rather then the hundred other girls he could have. Very well could have slept with her, then dumped her and thus the cause of the rape charges when she realized she was just used for sex by him.

[Anthony K. S.]

He only was acquitted of statutory rape because the only witness is dead.

That's the part I don't understand.

Why was the statutory rape case dropped? Joseph Tarnopolski, 18, stated to police that he had sex with Samantha Kelly, 14. That is the definition of statutory rape.

When you have a confession from the defendant, do you really need a witness?

I'm not a lawyer, but I just don't get it.