A North Carolina Central University student who made a name for himself as a stripper falsely accused members of Duke University's men's lacrosse team, David Evans, Colin Finnerty and Reed Seligman, of rape and kidnapping in 2006, threatening their lives. made me crazy.
Although the trio were acquitted, their accuser, Crystal Mangum,
was not held responsible He refused to correct the record in response to her claims. Eighteen years later, Mangum, now a convicted murderer, finally admitted he had made it all up.
“The Bible says that you should not harm your neighbor who you trust and live next door to,” Mangeum said.
said said in a recent interview with Catelena DePasquale on “Let's Talk with Kat.” “They were my brothers and they trusted me not to betray their trust. I gave my testimony, and it was wrong.”
Vigils and protests followed Mangum's accusations regarding the alleged March 13, 2006 incident. campus
chanting “Hey, hey, hey, hey… all rape has to end.” and request Other facilities are calling for changes to a “culture of condoning sexual violence.”
liberal media
It was a feast What exploded Duke University students' thoughts on the scandal “White privilege” to blame “Trends of violent criminals” They often play with a higher angle of expected racing. Mangum told authorities that not only was the accuser white and the accuser black, but members of the lacrosse team also mocked her with racial epithets.
For example, the Guardian's Washington correspondent said:
I wrote“A university proud to be a pillar of the New South had all the ugliness of the Old South. One of America's most prestigious universities, brutal clashes of race, gender, and class. there were.”
Richard Broadhead, the Duke's president at the time, was concerned about serious reputational damage.
formed An advisory council and multiple committees to investigate the lacrosse team, the university's response to the incident, and campus culture. Duke University Lacrosse Team Finally Paused That season.
“I betrayed the trust of many people who believed in me.”
Evidence quickly mounted that Evans, Finnerty, and Seligman had been betrayed and that many other players had been unfairly maligned.
Evans is a former co-captain of the lacrosse team and an honor student. said CBS News in 2006, “This woman ruined everything I had worked for in life. She put it on hold. She destroyed two other families and brought disgrace to a great university.'' And worst of all, she divided the community and told the state things that never happened and lies that should never have been told.”
“All your life you try to stay on the right path, try to do the right thing, and someone could come along and take it all away. Just do it. Just point. That's enough. ''' Seligman said.
Roy Cooper, then North Carolina Attorney General
announced In April 2007, after a months-long investigation, it was announced that it had become clear that “these incidents were the result of a tragic hasty prosecution and failure to verify serious allegations.”
“Due to significant discrepancies between the evidence and the various accounts given by the accusing witnesses, we believe these three individuals are innocent of these charges,” Cooper said. . “We approached this case with the understanding that rape and sexual assault victims' accounts of traumatic events are often contradictory. However, the discrepancies in this case are very striking. It was serious and contrary to the evidence, so we don't have any reliable evidence to show that.''The attack occurred that night. ”
Afterwards, the men who were falsely accused
successfully filed a lawsuit Broadhead University and Duke University sought a private settlement.
The fallout was not limited to the university, which cost far more than the lacrosse season, the police, who botched the case, and the media, which contributed to the boiling over of tensions.
Mike Nifong was accused by the players' lawyers of withholding DNA test results, lying in court and making misleading statements about the young players.
Democratic Party Durham County District Attorney, who led the prosecution; resigned Shamefully. he was after Found He was briefly jailed and disbarred for contempt of court.
“I'm not proud of that.”
Meanwhile, Mangum avoided consequences, at least in this case. “She may actually believe the stories she has told,” Cooper said, noting that he did not charge her with perjury, suggesting that “it is in the interest of justice not to press charges.”
“Because I was seeking approval from people and not God, I betrayed the trust of many others who believed in me and made up stories that were not true,” Mangum recently told DePasquale. Ta. “That was a mistake. God already loved me just the way I was.”
“I hurt my brothers,” Mangum continued. “I hope they can forgive me. And I want them to know that I love them and that they didn't deserve to be forgiven.”
duke chronicle
reported The interview was conducted at the North Carolina Women's Correctional Facility.
Years after being convicted of contributing to the abuse of a minor, Mangum
killed She was sentenced to a minimum of 14 years in prison for holding a knife to her boyfriend Reginald Day in 2011.
After DePasquale requested a meeting with Mangum, the convict expressed his desire to apologize for the Duke lacrosse incident, saying, “I actually lied to the public, my family, my friends, and God about this incident.'' I’m not proud of it.”
The Chronicle said university administration, Broadhead and former lacrosse head coach Mike Pressler did not respond to requests for comment.
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