After yesterday’s initial outrage, prepare for more from today’s story:
Students who knew members of the gang involved in the DVD said some were unapologetic and had laughed at the public outrage.
Year 9 students at Werribee Secondary College said a classmate allegedly involved in the film was expelled last week for exposing himself in a maths class.
“He is a complete d…head. No one should have to put up with seeing that,” one girl said.
She added some of the boys had bragged about making the movie ““ and claimed they had made a second one “twice as bad”.
The only reason these particular rapist thugs are likely to be charged with rape was that they were stupid enough not just to film the assault but to make a DVD and sell copies of it.
How many more assaults similiar to this occur where the rapist thugs are just that little bit smarter?
Update: Barista has a typically more considered post up, with details I hadn’t known about the assault and the DVD – apparently this footage has been circulating for months and even had snippets put up on YouTube, where no-one complained.
i am 36 years old and when i was 15 years old the same thing happened to me . that was 21 years ago and there was no dvd . it was just a $5 bet which i still paying for
Karen, how horrible for you.
If it’s not prying too far, did you report it and get any police investigation, or did you just keep it to yourself/your family? I know that back in the 70s and 80s when I heard about other girls being assaulted there was a knowing sneeriness about how unseriously the police would investigate such assaults at the time.
I look back and think that considering the number of girls I knew (or at least knew of) that were whispered about as being cornered by gangs of boys/men and assaulted I feel very fortunate to have been spared.
no i never reported to the police it was 1986 in a small country communilty. but after about a year everyone knew at the school and i was a trgic for other abuse. At the time of the rapes no one talked about it. sex was something i knew nothing about, all i felt was that i was in truble. i had to face these boys and girls at school each day. my behavor chraged to a very loving girl into a self loathing one. to this day i just cant understand it. and now with this other youmg girl i feel like it happen yesterday not 20 years ago. i still live a life where every throught about myself is negative. and i feel like that girl . i dont really know how to cope, even through im in counselling for other sexal assult issues casa only works with people for a short time
Thank you for sharing some of your experience. I can tell it is painful for you.
I hope that the counselling is helping you, and that when your casa time is up that the counsellor refers you to a good support group. I imagine that coping with such post-traumatic stress as you are is not something that can be resolved quickly, but I’m sure you can find support beyond casa counselling to help you work through it.
everything cost money including counselling and supprt, unless i press chrages noe or make a state now which might give me some time through victims of crimes . but that means going to court and its to much to deal with. i was just woundering who are you and who see these replay . basicly am i safe writing this.
you know with these guys i hope something really bad happens to them. i hope they pay and are in pain for the rest of their lives, give them 50 years each, pity we dont have the death penilty. i would love to see them die in the most painful way possable. Give this girl some peace and justice and let these young men pay with their lives.
Karen, I’m just a woman in Sydney who writes commentary on some of what’s going on in the world. I haven’t seen the DVDs and have no wish to, nor do I want to know any details about you that you don’t want to share.
Are there no victim support groups that are community based in your area, that just take a a few bucks from each of the group each week to cover room rental and biccies? I believe that such groups exist quite widely, but they don’t advertise, working on referrals from counsellors and community workers. Can you ask your counsellor about such groups?
I can totally understand that vengeful impulse towards the Werribee thugs. In principle I believe in justice rather than vengeance, but that doesn’t stop the emotional response of sheer rage towards them.
hi thank you. i melbourne there are groups but there waiting lists which can take a long time to get in . on top of that you can only go to groups in your area. thankyou for your sopport and if i can may i keep writing to you if i need too . it kind of feels safe talking to you
before i go i just want to let you know a little bit about my life beside from the abuse. i was a a child care worker/ nanny for many years before i decided to do socal work which i finish last year, i have dylexia which you might already know. i now doing sisabilty studies and work as a carer. in the next year or so i really want to put all my studies to use and work more indepth wiyh my socal work skills. thank you again karen
Karen, of course you may continue posting here as much as you wish, as long as you’re happy that anyone might read it.
I’ll get in touch with a few online feminist bloggers I know and trust about online support forums that are a bit less public and mail details to the address you provided when you posted your comments. It seems that you might need some more private support as well.
Karen, check your yahoomail.
hi i cheack my email but nothing there its sunday
Strange, I sent it to the email addy you provided with your comments here. I’ll try again.
just to let you know i got it but im not sure how to use it thanks karen
I’m glad the email got through, Karen.
One of those forums had a couple of recommended threads to read which were said to be very healing rather than confronting/triggering. That sounds like a good place to start reading and see whether any of the people you’re reading seem on your wavelength and perhaps able to discuss your experiences from a shared perspective.
The idea is that it’s meant to be like group therapy, but online.
inspiring exchange, thank you both
karen, you’re doing it! you are over-coming! keep up the great work you’re doing on yourself and in the world.
tigtog too. nice work from the sorority.