A student at a Maryland school was arrested and charged with sexual assault after he allegedlyraped a girl in the hall. The 17-year-old student supposedly committed this act while class was going on, raising questions as to how a sexual assault could have occurred within a school without anyone noticing. The man reportedly made advances toward the young woman before the assault took place.
After his arrest, Maryland authorities decided to try this young man as an adult because of the serious nature of the accusations. The incident took place at a large high school, where over 1,000 students attend each day. It is not clear if there were any eyewitness accounts of what purportedly happened in the hallway. Neither the accused man nor the public defender would comment on the charges or the case. The man purportedly stated on a social media site that he would beat any of the charges he faces.
The 17-year-old is charged with rape, kidnapping and assault. A court order prevents him from contacting the victim. If he is convicted of first-degree rape, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. While it is not evident if there were any witnesses, school cameras reportedly recorded at least some of the attack.
As serious as his legal situation is, he has the right to prepare and present a defense to the formal charges. Sexual assault charges must be substantiated by evidence and proof that meets strict requirements before the defendant can be convicted of any charges. In the meantime, he remains innocent before the court, despite any evidence against him.
Source: USA Today, "Girl raped in high school hallway as class goes on", Vanessa Junkin, May 7, 2014