DA: Alleged Rape May Have Racial Angle
By Darla Miles (03/27/06 -- DURHAM) - Durham's district attorney is speaking very candidly about what could happen to anyone charged in the alleged gang rape at a party last week.
"In this case, where you have the act of rape - - essentially a gang rape - - is bad enough in and of itself, but when it's made with racial with racial epithets against the victim, I mean, it's just absolutely unconscionable," said District Attorney Mike Nifong.
Investigators say several members of the Duke lacrosse team made the racial slurs to the two black women hired to dance at the house party.
"The contempt that was shown for the victim, based on her race was totally abhorrent," Nifong said. "It adds another layer of reprehensibleness, to a crime that already reprehensible."
Nifong tells Eyewitness News that he may consider adding hate crimes to any other potential charges if investigators determine the victim was targeted because of her race.
"I don't think you can classify anything about what went on as a prank that got out of hand or drinking that took place by people who are underage," Nifong said.
"My guess is that some of this stonewall of silence that we have seen may tend to crumble once charges start to come out," Nifong said.
Lawyers: DNA Will Clear Lacrosse Members
"If the only thing that we ever have in this case is DNA, then we wouldn't have a case," Nifong said.
Comments about the Duke Lacrosse Arrests
"It had been my hope to charge all three of the assailants at the same time, but the evidence available to me at this moment does not permit that. Investigation into the identity of the third assailant will continue in the hope that he can also be identified with certainty. It is important that we not only bring the assailants to justice, but also that we lift the cloud of suspicion from those team members who were not involved in the assault."
-- Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong.
Rape Investigation 'Not Going Away'
"My conviction that a sexual assault actually took place is based on the examination that was done at Duke Hospital," Nifong said.
"Anytime you have a victim who can identify her assailant, then what you have is a case that must go to the jury, which means, in this situation, a jury will get to evaluate the evidence," Nifong said.
Yep no bias there! The chief problem, is that none of this has been proved in a court of law. But don't tell Nifong that.
>>Police have also searched a second home occupied by lacrosse team members, but documents describing the location or what investigators found have been sealed by court order, prosecutors and police said. <<
Do you know why the evidence found in this second home has been sealed by court order, and the evidence from the home where the party was held, have been released?
Nifong on 3/27: "My guess is that some of this stonewall of silence that we have seen may tend to crumble once charges start to come out."
Nifong since DNA results on 4/10: ".........crickets......
........... ............crickets..........................."