If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Options
Take a look around and enjoy reading the discussions. If you'd like to join in, it's really easy to register and then you'll be able to post. If you'd like to learn what this place is all about, head here.
Comments
As for whether she deserved it etc. - of course bloody not. BUT she put herself in an extremely vulnerable position where something like this is more likely to happen. Same with girls who get drunk and walk home alone etc. etc. - they don't deserve it but in doing so they're not being responsible and are increasing the chances of it happening. A drunk driver doesn't deserve to die (well, unless he hits other people, bastard) but if he gets into the car drunk he's much more likely to have a crash and die.
I dont think MySpace will have to pay out damages, but I do think that MySpace will be required to show that they have increased safeguards for youngsters. Everyone thinks that if you're 10/11 then you have the responsibility to go on what websites you want, but that's not the case, because at young ages, even 14 people make irresponsible and poor decisions. It is a good thing that parents can shield their children from sexual advances by adults, as until they reach an age where they can make a responsible and informed decision then they are subject to ending up in a situation like this.
Oh fucking grow up .. I said that it was "tongue-in-cheek ... I don't condone any sexual assault whatsoever".
Ah ok .. I can see that I may have edited while you were posting yours .. I apologise unreservedly.
But what do you mean about "Wasn't the first post of it's kind either"? What other post have I upset you over?
Indeed.
However, I fail to see how myspace would be liable to be sued in this situation. If you - as a 14 year old - met someone through a friendship or dating website (which stipulated 16 or 18+) who then committed an assault against you then surely you couldn't sue them as they have guidelines regarding meeting people etc. They obviously can't enforce them so it's down to the individual to use their own best judgement; if your best judgement fails you then it's a truly terrible thing but I don't see how you can blame a profile website. The thing about their duty of care and obligation to the girl is that essentially it doesn't exist once you take the relationship off the myspace website and into the real world.
I feel terribly, terribly sorry for the girl, but I think conviction of her attacker should be what she and her mother are battling for (unless he has already been tried and convicted?) rather than a wedge from myspace.
Also - "fiddling with her"? Who writes this stuff? :eek2:
But I stated in that one that I was being tongue-in-cheek (I admit it was in poor taste) but your post implied I had upset you elsewhere.
Oh well .. we can move on.
I think it was Thunderstruck who mentioned "blame culture" earlier on, he has a very valid point...
How on earth is myspace gonna stop people raping each other.
They can't. Besides, what happens offline isn't their problem, right?
Maybe her mum found out about it. Or she told them because she changed her mind afterwards. Young girls can be fickle, which is one of the reasons probably why the underage law is there tbh.
If you sell a car to an underage and he crashes it without insurance then surely you're in the wrong? Even if only slightly. Isn't that a similar sort of instance? MSN Chat was closed because they didn't want minors being groomed so to speak, if MySpace allows young people to go on there and be exposed to grooming or whatever then in my opinion it's failing in a duty of care.
So they're not responsible for the rape, but they're responsible for allowing an adult to talk to a minor and meet up with them. On a bulletin board it's more passive, but MySpace is a lot about meeting other people, so that's why I think they do have a responsibility. Don't agree with the damages though, but think they should change their practices in future.