The Washington Post is fearless in condemning wrong-doers -- from January 6 rioter to parents with the effrontery to care what kids are learning in public schools. But not so for rapists who wreck a cherished narrative.
Recently, Washington Post ”courts and policing” reporter Justin Jouvenal seemed to throw a bit of skepticism into the Loudoun County Public School rape case that's been so inconvenient for progressives..
Conservatives considered Jouvenal’s assessment of the case -- that the rape victim may have been more culpable in her own assault than previously thought -- to be callous “victim shaming.”
In his piece on the case, which involved the rape of a LCPS high school student at the hands of a boy wearing a dress and the subsequent school board’s covering up of that rape, Jouvenal reminded everyone that young victim had had consensual relations with the abuser prior to the assault.
He reported these “new details” on October 26, writing that during the October 25 hearing, “the 15-year-old victim in the first case testified she had consensual sexual encounters with the defendant on two occasions in a girls’ bathroom at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn.”
RELATED: Uncovered Email Confirms Loudoun County School Superintendent Knew Of Assault On Day One
But on during the May 28 incident -- the one that has resulted in the public shakedown of LCPS after being exposed by The Daily Wire’s investigative report -- the victim said that “the two arranged to meet again and the youth threw her to the floor and forced her to perform sex acts.”
The victim insisted that though they had both planned to meet up like they had on previous occasions, she “testified they had not explicitly discussed having sex beforehand.”
According to Jouvenal’s piece, “the two talked, before the girl testified the boy began grabbing her neck and other parts of her body in a sexual manner. She testified she told her attacker she was not in the mood for sex, but he forced himself on her.”
Regardless of these new details, Jouvenal reported that the judge found “sufficient evidence” that the defendant had “forced the girl into two sex acts.”
Jouvenal also included the defendant’s attorney’s assessment of the crime, which was that the abuser and the victim had “discussed sex regularly,” adding that the “encounter was just like it was before.”
In Jouvenal’s tweet about the article, he made a similar point, saying despite the May 28 incident being a legitimate assault, the victim had consented on prior occasions. He wrote, “A teen testified she met a classmate for consensual sex in the girls’ bathroom of a Loudoun County high school before, but in a May encounter she was sexually assaulted.”
A teen testified she met a classmate for consensual sex in the girls’ bathroom of a Loudoun County high school before, but in a May encounter she was sexually assaulted. New details in the case at the center of a firestorm https://t.co/wON6Y7EpRD
— justin jouvenal (@jjouvenal) October 26, 2021
Though conservatives were quick to slam Jouvenal for appearing to muddy the waters on a clear case of assault. Washington Times columnist Tim Young replied to Jouvenal’s tweet, stating, “Oh look... the Washington Post victim blames teens who were raped now.”
Oh look... the Washington Post victim blames teens who were raped now.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) October 26, 2021
Human Events Managing Editor Ian Miles Cheong tweeted in response, “The suspect is guilty. Delete this.”
Why is that first note relevant at all?!
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) October 26, 2021
Republican comms strategist Matt Whitlock tweeted about Jouvenal’s tone deaf tweet as well, writing, “Why is that first note relevant at all?!
Why is that first note relevant at all?!
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) October 26, 2021
And Herald Sun opinion writer Rita Panahi responded to the tweet with a graphic that stated, “the best time to delete this tweet was immediately after sending it, the second best time is now.”
— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) October 26, 2021
Considering all the cover up that has gone on regarding this assault case over the last six months, it’s clear that people are fed up with media or school board members trying to explain away what happened.