Posted on 03/31/2006 8:03:52 PM PST by Howlin
DURHAM, N.C. - The father of the woman who has accused members of the Duke lacrosse team of sexually assaulting her said he didn't find out that his daughter was the reported victim - and that she is an exotic dancer - until a reporter visited his house.
The retired trucker who lives in Durham said he saw his daughter the day after the reported attack, but she didn't say anything was wrong. She even left her car at the house for several days because he said she didn't want to drive it.
Her father, a quiet man who tinkers on cars as a hobby, said he saw news reports about the attack.
"I didn't know it was my daughter," he said. The Charlotte Observer generally does not name victims of sexual assault, so his name is being withheld to protect the identity of his daughter.
The case has ignited campus protests and stirred racial tension in Durham. The woman at the center of the case is black, and the men she accuses are white. She also is a student at N.C. Central University, a historically black college near Durham's inner-city, compared with the more expensive Duke campus.
DNA tests have been conducted on 46 of the lacrosse players, who deny the allegations. A 47th member, who is black, was not tested because the woman said her attackers were white.
Last week, a reporter stopped by the reported victim's house looking for her, the woman's father said, but he said he didn't know what was going on. He called his daughter and she said the district attorney told her not talk to anyone.
"(She) didn't tell us anything about it," he said.
He said he also found out through the media that his daughter, who is the youngest of three, was an exotic dancer.
"She always told me she was going to work," he said.
On Friday, he installed a timing belt in a car and watched his daughter's two children play outside the house. He said working on cars and playing with the grandchildren helps take his mind off what's happening with his daughter.
He said she seems to be doing "pretty good," and so is the rest of the family. He said they haven't talked much about the reported incident, but it weighs heavily on his mind. He said he's grateful that N.C. Central has been so supportive, but he doesn't like how his daughter has been portrayed in the media. And he's especially frustrated that no one has been charged in the connection with the allegations.
"If it had been anybody but them, they would have been locked up, but yet they didn't because it's Duke," he said. "I hope them boys - if they did it - I hope they get what they deserve. I hope they don't go lenient on them."
District Attorney Michael Nifong said he's waiting for results of the DNA test and that he does not expect to file charges in the case any earlier than next week.
We could ask why is there only one black guy on the whole Lacrosse team as well.
And not to knock down those Lacrosse dudes....but I seem to get the impression that they are a bunch of wussie guys who couldn't play soccer or football...who wore $200 turtleneck sweaters...who drove mostly BMWs or Saabs...and mostly all accounting majors in college. Course, I'm not knocking this or anything...and I'm saying they aren't too manly...but ifing you were in a bar and bad-mouthed Lacrosse...most folks would be thinking of the town...Lacrosse...and if you explained it was a sport...they'd be thinking you play this with Shetland ponies and PVC tubes...with girlie umpires, and French wine sipped inbetween innings.
From what I am hearing around Raleigh and Durham, the parents of the players are absolutely furious that this has happened.
If it turns out that they are innocent, there is going to be hell to pay.
Lacrosse player parents...are all rich upper-class lawyers or accountants or company presidents. They can afford to make trouble. This girl might ought to pack up and head to Vegas for a year or two. Her talents might be more appreciated there.
It seems there is going to be hell to pay either way. The University can't be happy with them hiring this kind of entertainment or the spotlight.
Six hours? Could that be a journalistic mistake? It hard to bilk an hour out of a no-call...forget about 6 hours...
No kidding.
I'm totally clueless about that.
http://www.mlacrosse.imsports.duke.edu/
Has a pic of the 2006 Duke Lacross team....17 people in the entire pic and not one black that I can see.
Ok, something is seriously fishy with that report.
Well, I wouldn't say it's a wuss sport. Historically it has been a fairly big-time sport in the high schools of the nether regions of the NYC suburbs in Long Island, upstate NY, CT and NJ, and in Maryland as well, but in recent years it seems to have become more popular in the midwest and some parts of the upper south.
Like hockey, it's basically a white sport, although probably not quite as white as hockey. For whatever reason, blacks at the high schools where lacrosse is big do not play that sport in anywhere near the same numbers as football or basketball.
In terms of toughness, I would rank lacrosse players somewhere between football and soccer.
I must really be old; they look like babies to me.
Hey, guess who this DA is running against in this election.
huh? Anyone who has watched soccer knows that the majority of injuries are from being hit with someone elses shoelace, jersey, sweat or shadow. it it looks REALLY painful too, the way they roll on the ground and scrunch up their faces.
Actually I think that's just a college club team, and not the NCAA Duke intercollegiate team that's involved in these allegations.
I think your picture is a high school team?
http://images.usatoday.com/sports/_photos/2006/03/29/in-duke-flier.jpg
This is the "flyer" they're putting out on all the cars, trees, and buildings.
Well that report wasn't a bit one-sided but some information is in it...
I feel sorry for the guys pictured if they turn out not to even be in the complaint....
Now, she says she was pulled into a bathroom, the door was shut, she knew enough about the people who did this to know their first names - so why hasn't she identified them from photo's?
You guys are right about the pic - my bad....
I noticed that at least two of the first names she mentioned are the same as the team captains which I gather are the ones actually living in the house. So it may be the case she knew the names because those are the guys who hired her, i.e., she gets to the house and was told she is to ask for "Matt" or "Bret" who are in charge of the party and are supposed to pay her and the other stripper. Also, she might have overheard one student speaking to another and using the other person's name. It's possible that the reason she might be unable to pick faces out of a lineup (even just the ones whom she may have spoken to and who paid her) is because she was too drunk or high at the time, and of course there is the recurring problem of cross-ethnic identification.
Wow. No wonder you play bogey golf.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
