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Girl, 15, recants rape claim
By ABBIE VANSICKLE
Published February 8, 2007
TAMPA - A 15-year-old Jefferson High School student told police Wednesday she lied about being raped by a schoolmate. "The 15-year-old girl just signed a statement saying she made it up," said police spokeswoman Andrea Davis. The girl reported the rape Tuesday after a maintenance worker discovered the girl and a 16-year-old boy together in a bathroom stall, police said. The boy ran from police, and the girl told investigators she had been raped, prompting a law enforcement investigation. Police interviewed both students Tuesday and filed no charges against the boy. When they re-interviewed the girl Wednesday, she told them she lied to investigators about the rape, Davis said. The case now is in the hands of prosecutors, who will decide whether the girl will face charges of filing a false police report, Davis said. Both students will be disciplined by the school for their actions, said district spokesman Steve Hegarty. Principal Daniel Bonilla is reviewing the incident, Hegarty said. At the very least, both students will be suspended, he said. "The boy ran, and the girl lied - we've got a problem with that," Hegarty said. Abbie VanSickle can be reached at 226-3373 or vansickle@sptimes.com.
[Last modified February 8, 2007, 06:36:32]
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by Cheyanne
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02/15/07 09:41 AM
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Keep me posted.
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by robert
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02/08/07 05:38 PM
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When I was a kid (16), I had a similar experience. But I was actually arrested and jailed for 2 weeks before she told the truth and I was released. My accuser got no punishment from the law, but I'm pretty sure she's still grounded 20 years later.
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by Anna
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02/08/07 04:54 PM
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accusing someone of rape is a very serious thing, this girl needs punishment. It makes you wonder how many other times this has happened and the "victim" didn't confess.
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by Abby
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02/08/07 03:03 PM
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How many future legitimate rape victims are actually going to report now that these false accusations are becoming prevalent? It's a shame.
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by Sarah
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02/08/07 03:01 PM
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AFter the embarrassing performance of the police officers who arrested an authentic rape victim, let us hope that the lesson of sensitivity has been learned and will be applied in all cases. These children were simply afraid of terrible consequences
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by Shawn
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02/08/07 12:46 PM
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I would like to know what exactly kind of morals and values these children are being taught by their parents that brings them to the high school bathroom stall?
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by John
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02/08/07 12:40 PM
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Rape should be aggresively prosecuted. And women who falsly charge men with rape should be equally prosecuted, go to jail, and serve a signifigant sentence. I hope they send her to juvie.
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by Carol
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02/08/07 12:00 PM
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This should make us all wonder how many times this has happened and some poor guy gets in trouble for it. She just added fuel to the fire for any future rape victims. That's really sad.
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by Paul
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02/08/07 11:11 AM
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School bathrooms have long been a "safe" place for smokin', dopin' and screwin'. Put a school control officer in there or else it always will be!
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by Steve
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02/08/07 10:41 AM
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It all starts with the parents!
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by Diane
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02/08/07 10:01 AM
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The fact that he ran and she lied just proves that children shouldn't be having sex in the first place!! His parents will be pissed about what the school does, her parents will be pissed she was having sex. Lovely double-standard we have.
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by Jeff
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02/08/07 09:23 AM
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Everything imaginably bad goes on in the school bathrooms at Clearwater High according to both of my daughters. Other schools are probably similar so it is not a surprise this happened. Surprising is the lack of control within the school buildings.
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by Shari
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02/08/07 09:14 AM
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What is wrong with young girls today..have they no self respect? This "child" first needs to deal with any possible charges and then immediate help to deal with her lack of morality through professional help to learn to value both her body and soul.
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by Christine
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02/08/07 09:12 AM
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When this story first broke i saw it going two ways...one the girl was telling the truth, and the other the girl lied becuase she was afraid of what her parents would say, by crying rape it took the blame off of her. I think she should be prosecutted
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by Nee
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02/08/07 08:25 AM
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She lied?! I am so (not) suprised!
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by Esther
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02/08/07 07:35 AM
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"The boy ran, and the girl lied - we've got a problem with that," hmmmmm.....how about they were having sex in the bathroom at school and we've got a problem with that?
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