Duke University Assault Case

Carly M. Hilinski

In March 2006, a female exotic dancer accused members of the Duke University lacrosse team of rape and sodomy. Three players, all men, were quickly indicted on charges of rape, sexual offenses, and kidnapping. The case quickly gained national media attention, with particular interest paid to the race of the victim and the accused offenders: the alleged victim is Black and the accused men are White. In addition to the media, minority groups also took a vested interest in the case. This entry provides a brief review of the events that took place on the night the sexual assault allegedly occurred, the subsequent investigation and findings, and the final decision by North Carolina Attorney General to drop all charges against the men accused. The woman accusing the Duke players of assault was a poor, Black, local single mother working at an escort service while attending the predominantly Black North Carolina ...

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