Resolution to Wilson hazing case put on the table

   Prosecutors have offered the teenage defendants in the Wilson hazing case a chance to dodge the weight of the initial charges stemming from an April 17 incident on a team bus.

    As reported in today's Buffalo News, the deal would allow the teens to plead guilty to a misdemeanor count of forcible touching, which carries a lesser punishment than the felony sexual abuse count each had been facing.

   Also as part of the offer, each would plead guilty to three counts of second-degree hazing, a violation.

   Kevin P. Shelby, an attorney for one of the 16-year-olds, likened what happened on that bus to a fraternity initiation, and which also lacked any sexual overtones.

   There were at least 30 people on the bus at the time of the incident, Shelby said, and the DA's office has not produced medical evidence suggesting any object, including a cell phone, was used to penetrate the body opening of anyone on the bus as alleged.

   And because of that, and the fact that the deal offers no guarantee that youthful offender status will be granted, he claims his client deserves fairer treatment.

   "Should conduct such as this that does not have sexual overtones, that involves initiation rights, should that impact on a 16-year-old's life for the rest of his life?" he said.

   What do you think of the offer made by the DA's office?

   — Aaron Besecker

Comments

[Wow, did he really say that?]

I can't believe that the attorney for these punks compared it to Fraternity Hazing and he thinks that what happens in a Frat house is OK?

I was in a fraternity, one that didn't haze. But I had friends who pledged other fraternities and were physical, verbally and mentally abused. In the name of brotherhood. There were always whispers about sexual humiliation, but no one would ever admit to it.

And this is supposed to be OK with Shelby?

I don't buy any of his "it wasn't sexual" garbage. Yeah, duh! Of course it wasn't sexual.

It was about humiliating and breaking the spirit of these boys, by inserting things in their rectum, dehumanizing them, humiliating them and emasculating them.

All in the name of TEAM.

Well here is the deal with hazing. It has a snowball effect. Once one person suffers, he perpetuates it on the next weaker person that comes along, but escalates the pain or humiliation.

This isn't singing in front of a group, your college fight song. This isn't wearing a beanie around campus.

This is sticking foreign objects into another human being's body cavity.

It's sickening, shouldn't be tolerated, and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent.

[Achai Kamau]

"Initiation Rights?"

If that isn't a euphemism for what happened, I don't know what is.

[Lydia Bezou-Hojnacki]

Throw the book at everyone who saw the dastardly felony rape and did nothing to stop it.

I hope the coaches never see the inside of a school bus again.

Youthful offender status shouldn't be considered for crimes against a person.

[udontknowme]

what can I say... The people of Niagara County!!!

[I Love Broken Gold]

This incident has forever scarred the young men who were the victims of this brutal assault. The coaches CHOSE to sit at the front of the bus, in spite of past episodes. All involved have to be punished for this awful crime especially those criminal bullies who perpetrated this violence on these young men. I hope the victims and their families are compensated and all involved parties punished.

[Sickening]

Once again the only ones that are better off for this travesty are the lawyers whose purses are overflowing with the riches wrought from a very sick society. The prolonged justice will provide the attorneys with a wonderful life and the victims will never have justice.

[pgr88]

I'm waiting for the film to make a final judgement....

[Karen]

Yeah, Mr Shelby, it should impact these 16 year olds' lives forever!
I suppose Mr Shelby would be thinking differant, if one of the kids who allegedly had something forced into his rectum, on a school bus, was his daughter (and I don't even know if this guy has kids, I really hope he doesn't, and never does have any), who was forced down, and had something forced into her rectum as part of an initiation? Would he then think of it as rape?
16 is old enough to know, the differance between right and wrong. 16 is old enough to know, that it is wrong, to put something into another's rectum, when that person doesn't want it there.
I hope that everyone knows the identity of these wonderful team members. No way, would I let any daughter of mine near any of them, least they decide to graduate to what everyone thinks of, as rape, next time there's someone to be initiated.
I couldn't blame anyone, for moving out of this school district altogether, after this.

[Sunny]

There was no object of any sort inserted into anyone's rectum. If there was do you really think the D.A.'s office would be dragging it's feet the way they are.