So it turns out the punt wasnât muffed after all?
Wow⌠moving along âŚ
I read this story yesterday. Obviously, this dude needs to make better choices, but heâs also just 22. And it appears his life was destroyed by false accusations.
Itâd be great to see a bit of a redemption story for him so he can move on with his life.
Itâs really a sad story of guilty by accusations. This is the world we live in today.
There was a lengthy thread here about it and many were ready to prosecute him at the time.
In fact many took great exception to me pointing out that she wasnât a saint, that there were many holes in her story and maybe itâs best to wait before we determine his guilt.
I took a bunch of heat for saying that. Posters even claimed I was taking the side of a rapist, etc.
Itâs really sad that 30 years ago society tended to sway toward that of the accused and today they sway to that of the accuser. People pass judgement before all facts are presented and sway towards the side of the accuser.
No one wants to wait to pass judgment until all the facts are out. If you suggest people should hold judgement youâre suddenly defending the accused and are a piece of shit yourself.
In this case I think itâs obvious who the victim is here. A young manâs life was ruined by a single accusation. Even though the police investigation and witnesses had come forward to support his story the public outcry was so loud that the Bills decided to move on and cut the young man. He has lost millions. He was labeled a rapist and prosecuted by public opinion. The media trashed this young man, fans attacked him on social media.
I doubt anyone who was making the public outcry will now apologize. Which really is sadâŚ
This is all fair. I donât recall the thread, but itâs so easy to shoot first and ask questions later. Part of the problem is more often than not, the framing of early information prohibits a fair defense from the accused.
Beyond ruining his life (which I pray is temporary), she does tremendous disservice to the women who are truly victimsâand probably makes them MORE reluctant to come forward in cases like this, which only perpetuates the problem, because attackers continue wreak havoc on women.
All in all, a horrible situation.
I shortly expect a counter civil suit by Punt God against the accuser for denying his employment and $$ associated.
Also, dont pipe random women of loose character at parties, especially on the cusp of making life changing money
This is a very good point. This happens in so many aspects of life in modern day, especially on social media, twitter is the worst for that, pure trash. If someone even asks some questions or is wanting to look into something in more detail before making up their mind, the backlash and attacks begin on their character. I wonât go into examples due to den rules, but this happens constantly and itâs driving this whole cancel culture bullshit.
I think itâs also important to point out here that the prosecutors - people with incentive and motivation to find evidence of Araizaâs guilt - not only couldnât find said evidence, but only found evidence that supported that it was impossible for him to be present during the alleged rape.
This is a bit of a cop out for the both the media and the Twitter mob.
Even in the sketchy early reporting, there were clearly inconsistencies in the young ladyâs reports compared with what was being reported that those present at the party said, yet anyone who wasnât ready to immediately flay the Punt God was essentially branded a pro-rape misogynist.
This outcome was not some the result of explosive new information, nor is it a technicality where the accused was let off on something procedural. This was not a minor mistake that should be overlooked. This was a case of the demographics-first, facts-second outrage squad ignoring inconvenient information to pursue a larger goal.
I think the crux of the problem is even more complicated. I donât think she thinks she was lying or even mis-remembering.
So many people that age have victimhood engrained into their identity, and thatâs just the lens through which they see the world. To many of them, there is no objective fact, only personal truth, and that trumps everything. Fudging the details in an attempt to ctrl-z some regrettable decisions is not only justifiable, but doesnât even register as doing something wrong. Because sheâs a victim.
What, are you saying dumb decisions get made when young people and alcohol mix?
No doubt, it was a dumb decision for Araiza to put himself in that situation. I also havenât seen anything refuting some of the dirtbag stuff he appeared to do (banging the chick bareback while having an STD).
Itâs also pretty stupid for a high school chick to hang out and drink at a college house party with a bunch of strangers.
Just like the latter dumb decision wouldnât excuse an actual rape, the former doesnât justify a false rape accusation.
Thatâs not true, no one was ready to prosecute. People were upset because she claimed rape and the investigation was incomplete 10 months after the fact and now 8 months later (18 months after the alleged rape) the police are finally completing and releasing information about that investigation. Thatâs all people were asking for to complete the investigation.
Most rapes arenât prosecuted because itâs a he said she said. Just because the police donât prosecute doesnât mean she wasnât raped.
It is a shame what happened to Araiza, but I still feel worst for the 17 year old girl.
It appears society learned nothing from the duke lacrosse case.
Really? Did you even read the article?
âThe witnesses say ⌠that shortly after you arrived at the party, you left and came back shortly thereafter,â Amador [the prosecutor] said. âAnd you told [a friend], âI just had sex.â ⌠You didnât appear unhappy. You appeared to be having fun and that the encounter on the side of the house with Matt, suspect Araiza, was consensual."
Amador also explained to the girl that additional witness testimony alleged that at this period of time, âyou were approaching men at the party saying, âI want you to [expletive] me and if you donât [expletive] me youâre a [expletive].â
While the civil lawsuit claimed that right after the Araiza encounter in the side yard the football player led her into the bedroom in the house, the timeline established by authorities was much different. Prosecutors said that âshortly afterâ being with Araiza, witnesses said the girl again left her group and came back to report she had had sex with a different man. Again, prosecutors explained, witnesses suggested it was consensual.
âYou had returned and then came back and said you had sex with a guy, this would have been the second person that would have been in the progression of the evening,â Amador said. âAgain, youâre described as being OK, not scared or distraught. Seemed happy, seemed consensual.
âAgain, youâre not intoxicated at this point that anybody would know your intoxication level to the point that they would not be able to tell that you werenât able to give consent,â Amador said.
Iâm not judging this girl for making regrettable decisions that she clearly wishes she could undo. But that doesnât justify her making allegations that the investigation has proven to be false (or at least terribly inconsistent with all of the other attendeesâ accounts).
Araiza is the victim. The girl, aided by the media and the mob, is the perpetrator. I donât see how one can logically hold any other view.
times have changed to where lots of people in the past were not believed nor felt empowered enough to come forward
However
False accusations do a lot of damage no matter the era
Even in this situation
Iâm reluctant to comment at all
As I donât want to pass judgement on her or him or act like I know all the facts
Even in what theyâve âuncoveredâ
Both those young people had a lot at stake and are paying for their choices.
So how are we explaining the sever bruising, ripped piercings and bleeding.
As I grow older in my faith, I roll with the idea that if my mind and Spirt or heart as right, I will have peace in All! TribulationsâŚ
This world sucks and will continue to suck around meâŚ. But it will not change what I am insideâŚ.
And trust me, as I just went through this for four years or so in litigation for a false allegation that carried 25-lifeâŚ. Lost my employment along the way and fell 100,000 in debtâŚ.
But I was reminder and relearned this is just all stuff and temporaryâŚ.
And if I have true peace in me, my poor choice will be minimized greatlyâŚ
My prayer and hope is all involved, on both sides, get their life rightâŚ
First, I donât see how this has anything to do with the topic of false accusations against Araiza. The official report says Araiza had been gone from the party for over an hour by the time the event sheâs claiming was a gang rape occurred.
Second, the prosecutors apparently have videos (ick) of the sex act between her and the three dudes (none of which was Araiza). And even to them - prosecutors who have a bias toward and interest in finding a crime - there wasnât anything that seemed forced.
Additionally, prosecutors told the girl that video recordings of the incident in the bedroom made it impossible to determine, let alone prosecute anyone, on whether there was a gang rape at all that night, rather than consensual sex with the other men.
âIn looking at the videos on the sex tape, I absolutely cannot prove any forceable sexual assault based upon what happened,â Amador said.
âThereâs nothing in the videos that sound like youâre saying âstopâ or âthis hurtsâ or anything like that,â Ted Mansour, an investigator for the San Diego County district attorneyâs office, said at the meeting.
This is more evidence that is typically available for a rape accusation. If people arenât willing to concede that Araiza has been falsely accused, Iâm not sure what it would take.
Well, except to say that @Air2theThrown is pro-rape.
The âreluctant to commentâ stance is weird to me, though. We now have lots of information about the situation. Way more than is available to the public generally, and certainly more than was available back in August when you were decidedly less reluctant to comment, having the most posts on the original thread:
Exactly, but it also suggests that something violent happened that night, which is why I feel worse for the 17 year old girl that had sever bruising, ripped piercings and bleeding and has claimed rape by multiple offenders.
Did someone slip her a date rape drug? Iâm not sure, but if someone did, it would explain a lot.
Welp, I appreciate the effort, but this discussion has veered pretty far from football. When we start questioning whether folks here are or are not secretly in favor of rape, it seems like a good time to shut 'er down.
Thanks for trying fellas, donât forget to wash your hands before you return to work.