[[trigger warning: rape]]
In response to the Steubenville, Ohio teen rape case, West Virginia U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld is launching a program to teach high school athletes not to post evidence of rape online.
It’s called “Project Future,” and his goal is to teach teens how to avoid getting in trouble with the law by using cell phones, cameras, and social media “responsibly.” Instead of teaching teens not to rape, the U.S. Attorney wants to teach them not to get caught.
This is rape culture at work: The very people who are in charge of enforcing our laws look at a cruel, brutal attack on a young girl and think, “If only the teens hadn’t posted photographic evidence online.”
—“Project Future” (via menstruate)
After the red mist faded, I thought I’d do a little fact checking to make sure this isn’t false or exaggerated. It isn’t. Here is the AP article about it it. Here is an article where the State Attorney in question complains that his quotes were taken out of context and that “the connection between the rape case and ‘Project Future’ is being blown out of proportion.” Yet the purpose of the program is clearly not just to prevent young athletes from committing crimes– it’s to prevent them from getting caught. According to the official “Project Future” announcement, “The message will highlight athletes at the high school, college and professional level who have faced criminal penalties, suspensions, or removal from their teams for their texts or for posts on social media.”