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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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