Last week, a 15-year-old Encinitas girl told her parents and police that she'd been kidnapped and raped by three Latino men. Before she admitted that the entire story was fabricated, the police had conducted an intense manhunt in a community already on high alert after the murders of teenagers Chelsea King and Amber Dubois. The story raises questions of how false accusations like this impact communities of color already vulnerable to institutionalized racism.
Transcript
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LAST WEEK, A 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL TOLD HER PARENTS AND POLICE THAT SHE HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED AND RAPED BY THREE LATINO MEN BEFORE SHE ADMITTED THE ENTIRE STORY WAS FABRICATED. THE POLICE CONDUCTED A MANHUNT AFTER THE MURDERS OF CHELSEA KING AND AMBER DUBOIS. THE GIRL HAD SEX WITH A 20-YEAR- OLD MAN SHE MET ONLINE. THE MAN IS NOW IN JAIL. THE STORY RAISES QUESTIONS HOW FALSE ACCUSATIONS RAISE THE FLAG OF RACISM. JOINING ME NOW IS SARAH CLARK. SHE IS THE PROFESSOR OF STUDIES AT UCLA. WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU HEARD ABOUT THE KIDNAPPING AND RAPE ACCUSATIONS?
AS A FEMINIST OR A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY, I WAS, AS EVERYONE WAS, CONCERNED TO HEAR THERE WAS THIS VIOLENT SEXUAL ASSAULT HAPPENING IN SAN DIEGO. I HAVE TO CONFESS WHEN I ALSO HEARD THAT IT WAS THE THREE LATINO MEN THAT SHE DESCRIBED, I DID HAVE CONCERNS AS A SCHOLAR OF ETHICS STUDIES OVER THE PANIC THIS COULD HAVE IN THE CITY THAT IS ALREADY RACIALLY CHARGED. WE CAN THINK ABOUT THE SCOTTSBURG CASE OF 1981 WHERE THE WOMEN WERE ACCUSING THE MEN OF RAPING THEM ON A TRAIN. WE CAN GO BACK TO THE CENTRAL PARK JOGGER CASE IN 1989 BECAUSE THE WOMAN HAD NO MEMORY OF THE INCIDENT, THE POLICE BULLIED FOUR YOUNG BLACK MEN INTO CONFESSING AND THEN FOUND OUT THEY HAD NOT COMMITTED THE CRIME AT ALL. >> HOW ARE THESE FALSE ACCUSATIONS IMPACT AND FURTHER HURT RACISM?
WE SEE PARTICULAR RACE AND GENDER MASCULINE TY -- MASCULINEITY MEANS IT BECOMES EASIER FOR POLICE WHO HAVE NO INTENTION OF ENACTING RACISM AND TAKE ALL CHARGES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT SERIOUSLY. IT ALLOWS THEM TO TAKE MORE SERIOUS CASES THAT LACK EVIDENCE BECAUSE IT SOUNDS POSSIBLE. IT SOUNDS MORE PROBABLE. FOR ALL OF US, THE IDEA THAT BLACK AND BROWN MEN ARE SEXUAL PREDATORS HAVE BEEN NATURALIZED TO A CERTAIN EXTENT. THINK ABOUT SUSAN SMITH WHO SAID SOME BLACK MEN KILLED MY CHILDREN AND PEOPLE BELIEVED HER. >> HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE LARGER CITIZENSHIP OF SAN DIEGO?
I THINK SAN DIEGO AS A COMMUNITY IS PRIMARILY A MELTING POT. A PLACE OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND CONTACT. AT A TIME WHEN SO CLOSE TO THE BORDER, RACIAL HOSTILITIES ARE HEIGHTENED PARTICULARLY WITH EVERYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING IN ARIZONA. IT MAKES COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WEARY THAT THE POLICE ARE READY TO TARGET THEM. IT INCREASES THE IDEAS THAT MEXICANO MEN ARE SEXUAL DEFICIENTS. WHAT YOU SEE NOW IS NOT THIS GIRL MAKING UP THE ACCUSATION TO COVER UP AN ILLEGAL SEX ACT, BUFF A LATINO MAN IS IN JAIL FOR RAPE.
IS THERE AN UNDER LYING -- SEX ACT, BUT A LATINO MAN IS IN JAIL FOR RAPE.
IS THERE AN UNDERLYING ISSUE?
MAN FACES A STRUGGLE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
