A pretty disturbing case got here to an in depth in Columbus, the place two former OSU soccer gamers, Amir I. Riep and Jahsen L. Wint, have been acquitted by a jury of the rape and kidnapping of a 19-year-old pupil. The case appeared to hinge on a video of the alleged sufferer giving consent after the very fact, despite the fact that the video appears to indicate her doing so via tears. She stated she solely did so to flee quicker. (Whereas the footage is reportedly “visually darkish,” the girl could be heard saying that she’s crying after which agreeing to the query of whether or not the encounter was consensual.)

There are quite a few facets to this case, and much more that talk to the nonetheless festering downside of sexual assault amongst sports activities packages on campus, which our colleagues at Jezebel expertly cowl. One of many extra disturbing facets of the case was the 2 defendants stated that getting video of consent from their sexual companions was one thing the workforce and faculty had instructed them to do, which is horrifying.

“I’m on the soccer workforce and that is one thing that we simply are taught to do to guard ourselves,” Amir I. Riep testified he instructed one of many girls earlier than recording. “It’s nothing towards you.”

Riep and one other witness, Lloyd McFarquhar, who was a fellow former soccer participant at Ohio State, testified that gamers have been instructed to acquire proof that anybody they’ve intercourse with consented to guard themselves from attainable ramifications—authorized, or in any other case.

An Ohio State soccer workforce spokesman, Jerry Emig, despatched an announcement by way of e mail to The Columbus Dispatch saying:

“Generally, when the Division of Athletics speaks with student-athletes about consent, we work carefully with material consultants on campus and observe the college’s effectively established Non-Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct Coverage.

“You’ll see that web page one of many coverage defines consent as, ‘permission that’s clear, understanding, voluntary, and expressed previous to partaking in and through an act. Consent is energetic, not passive. Silence, in and of itself, can’t be interpreted as consent. Consent could be given by phrases or actions, so long as these phrases or actions create mutually comprehensible clear permission concerning willingness to interact in (and the situations of) sexual exercise.’”

One would hope that the varsity could be extra involved in educating its gamers and all college students about what consent is and what getting it entails and making everybody on campus really feel protected as a substitute of giving its soccer gamers a handy out, however that is school soccer in spite of everything. So as a substitute we get this.

We went via this with the Hockey Canada case, the place the alleged sufferer was filmed saying she consented despite the fact that she was clearly incapable of doing so. And it was apparent that the gamers knew they needed to have this “proof.” The place would they’ve gotten that concept?

These establishments, as a substitute of educating younger males or boys what treating girls with respect and decency is or the correct method of going about sexual encounters are as a substitute simply exhibiting them “how you can get away with it.” How is that this ever going to get higher in the event that they’re not taking the time to root this evil out at its supply and train everybody higher? What’s even sadder is that in Columbus, shock of all shocks, it appears to have labored.