Student Allegedly Pushed in Front of Oncoming Train for Saying 'No'

donderdag 26 september 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Ericka Sóuter 3 hours ago

It's one of those freak tragedies that sends chills down your spine. A 21-year-old college student on her daily commute is waiting for a train. While standing on the platform, she has a brief exchange with a homeless man, who allegedly then suddenly pushes her in front of an oncoming train. It's a horrifying crime -- and even more so when you learn what motivated this man's vicious attack.

The man, 39-year-old Howard Mickens, was reportedly angered when young Maya Leggat declined to give him any money. Other would-be passengers immediately went to help, following Mickens and subduing him until police arrived. Fortunately the impact did not kill Legget, but it did leave her legs badly mangled and she suffered a head injury. A family member said she will need several surgeries. It's a miracle that she survived.

It's so dismaying that this girl's life was put in danger simply because she said, "No." According to the New York Post, this man had been loitering at the station and harassing people for months. He even had 11 previous arrests. This is just a horrible reminder that danger can lurk in the most unexpected places. We have to be vigilante about our safety and, sadly, always on the defensive when it comes to strangers.

There seem to be a rash of cases in New York City where a person on their way to work or home is pushed on the tracks by a deranged stranger. It's frightening. For now, Mickens has been charged with attempted homicide. If found guilty, they should lock him up for a very long time.

Do you find this story startling? Or have you heard of a similar incident?

Image via Phillip Capper/Flickr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ericka Sóuter

is a veteran pop culture and celeb news writer. That experience boils down to two things: she knows way too much about the Kardashians and she dominates on Trivial Pursuit's arts and entertainment questions.

More
?

reacties | | Read More...

College Student Told She Wasn’t Raped Because He Didn’t 'Finish'

woensdag 24 juli 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Adriana Velez 2 hours ago

Can someone please help out the University of Southern California police? They seem a bit confused about how this how rape/sexual assault business works. In fact, it's gotten so bad that there's a federal investigation of the campus police and school officials into their alleged failure to prosecute rape. 13 people have filed complaints, including one woman who says she was told she wasn't raped because her assailant didn't orgasm.

"Because he stopped, it was not rape," the victim was told when she reported the rape, according to a complaint she filed. "Even though his penis penetrated your vagina, because he stopped, it was not a crime." 

Okay ladies? It's not rape if he stops. So someone can force himself on you, but if at some point he says, "Oh, my mistake! Excuse me while I remove myself here" and he hasn't ejaculated yet, it's not really rape. It's something we call "schmape." Schmape is more common than you think. I wonder what else the USC campus police classify as schmape, and not, you know, rape rape.

I'm kidding about the schmape. It's just... Where do they get these guys? Shouldn't you have to know what rape is in order to get hired with campus police? Would an IQ test be out of order?

Another woman complained that her ex-boyfriend raped her. She even had a recording of him bragging about it. But she says the campus police gave her the old "not my job" line, telling her their "goal was to offer an 'educative' process, not to 'punish' the assailant." First of all, ye gods, they don't even know what their job is (enforce the law???). Secondly, are these people really in a position to educate anyone about anything, let alone about sexual assault?

Then there was the student who reported a sexual assault at a frat house party. According to her complaint, campus police told her and a friend that women should not "go out, get drunk, and expect not to get raped." Well now we know; campus police are there to enforce the law, unless of course you go and get drunk and then you're on your own. Only men can get drunk. If you have a vagina, stay home and stay sober. Alcohol is just for the guys.

So the feds do an investigation and come to the shocking conclusion that the USC campus police are a bunch of stone-age knuckleheads. Now what? There are similar investigations happening at college campuses all over the country. Francesca Bessey, who is part of a group lawsuit, says she hopes it changes how college administrators and campus police respond to complaints about sexual assault. "For me, the technical outcome of the investigation is much less important than the consciousness I want it to inspire among decision makers at colleges and universities nationwide."

In other words, she wants to put these guys on notice. They're doing it wrong, and they need to get educated.

Are you surprised at the USC police's responses to these complaints about sexual assault?

Image via Brandon Grasley/Flickr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adriana Velez

is a staff writer who dabbles in food, parenting, news, entertainment, molecular biology, and anything else that that pops into her head. She lives with her elementary school-aged son in Brooklyn, land of urban farms and artisan everything.  

More
?

reacties | | Read More...