Rape shield law will likely preclude defense from raising this issue at all. If she says she was a virgin, she was a virgin for purposes of the trial.
I missed that Pugh said she was still awake that someone pointed out above. This is going to be a hard case to prove and is going to come down to who the jurors think is more credible. This he said-she said stuff happens at colleges all the time. If I have a daughter, can anyone recommend an all girls college that won't allow men near the campus after 6 PM?
Interesting about the rape shield law. Question, though. Since it (from newspaper/web accounts) appears it was part of her testimony (again, not in court, so I don't know how accurately testimony is reported), is that not something defense could ask about under cross-examination?
Again, to all posters, I do NOT want to pass judgment on this case. But "offering" oral sex to preserve virginity sounds both incredulous AND incredibly sad.
Several stories have been documented in my area of young girls "giving oral sex" to preserve their virginity and/or to avoid STDs. Sadly, of course, it doesn't prevent the latter, and in the case of the former, I would imagine that, psychologically, some girls would still feel "conflicted".
Thus, I truly believe it could well have happened in this case. But it's scary to think any woman/girl would feel they HAVE to do this out of fear for safety/pride/conscience.
I hate to say this as a man but, some times, as a gender we really DO fall short.
