Mock Rape Trial Ends Awareness Week

She told you she was twenty-two years old, when in fact she was only sixteen. You believed her. Otherwise, you never would have taken her home.

That, however, does not matter now. The judge's gavel falls and the foreman speaks: Guilty as charged. Rape in the third degree.

As the culminating event in its Violence Against Women Awareness Week, the Anti-Rape Task Force staged a mock rape trial in the O'Brian Hall courtroom Thursday night.

The trial, in which a man was charged with rape in the third degree - or statutory rape - was intended to increase the student body's awareness of this particular sex crime.

Statutory rape, which occurs when a person who is 21 or older engages in sexual intercourse with a person who is less than 17 years old, is the most common form of rape according to Anti-Rape Task Force members.

"A lot of people aren't aware of how big of an issue it really is," said Erica Beggs, a senior psychology major who is also the task force's program coordinator. "Students don't know who they're bringing home from the bars downtown. They could feasibly get a call the next morning from an irate mother claiming that the student raped their teenage child."

In the mock trial, which was acted out by the Sub Board I Players, a 32-year-old man was accused of having sex with a 16-year-old girl, who claimed to be 22 at the time of the incident. The law states, however, that the perpetrator of the crime is guilty regardless whether he or she is aware of the victim's age.

Also, the man - a Canadian in the facts of the case - crossed international borders in order to engage in sexual conduct with the girl after maintaining a relationship with her via the Internet.

With college students using the Internet more and more to communicate, Beggs felt it was important to include cyberspace in the trial.

"The presence of their online relationship shows the impact of the Internet," said Beggs. "It also makes the trial more relevant to the students on campus."

The handful of students that attended the event said it was an appropriate way to conclude Violence Against Women Awareness Week.

"I wouldn't be surprised if (statutory rape) happened very often," said Alison Bellinger, a senior social science interdisciplinary major. "I think it's a fair law and that it should be upheld. As much as I thought I knew about the world when I was 16, I could have easily been manipulated, especially by older men. It's not really the time to be considered an adult."

While Bellinger found the law to be fair, other students said they were not as sure.

"The laws are awkward, especially when both parties are consensual," said Sara Friedman, a senior psychology and health and human services major who played the part of the victim. "I'm not sure I know how I feel about the laws. They should be case-appropriate, but the majority of the time a law like this would be necessary."

Jurors often reach a "not guilty" verdict when there is consent in a case of statutory rape, according to Erie County Court Judge Sheila A. DiTullio, who presided over the mock trial.

"The jurors don't like the law, so they'll acquit, especially when the sexual activity is consensual. Most jurors don't believe age should be a factor," said DiTullio. "If you're sworn to be a juror, though, you promise to follow the law so you'd think they would do so."

Compared to the other events sponsored this week by the Task Force - including a kickoff event with food and music, and a march - Thursday's trial was unique.

"We thought it'd be a fun twist to end Awareness week with a mock trial," said Beggs. "Hopefully, those who attended will agree."