November (Web-only) 2003

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Prosecutors dismiss charges against boys accused of rape at youth conference
Two 16-year-old boys in the Seattle suburb of Issaquah were due to face trial this week for raping a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old at an Evangelical Lutheran Church of America youth conference in late July. Instead, prosecutors dropped all charges against them.

"There's been an ongoing investigation in this case,'' Dan Donohoe, spokesman for the King County prosecutor's office, told the King County Journal. "After receiving additional information, we came to the conclusion that we could not prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt."

Deputy prosecuting attorney Erin Ehlert said almost exactly the same thing in speaking to The Seattle Times, and said she wouldn't elaborate "out of respect for the (alleged) victims and their families."

Charges against a third boy, who had been accused of twice raping one of the other girls' cousins twice, were dismissed in August after the accuser reportedly recanted.

It's clearly a tragedy—but without the facts, Weblog has no idea precisely whether it's a tragedy for the boys, the girls, or both. Still, as CT mentioned earlier, youth-peer sexual harassment and sexual abuse is serious and not rare.

Anglican woes (news):

• Episcopal parish in an uproar over dismissal of its priest | An Episcopal priest who clashed repeatedly with the diocese over its election of a gay bishop has been removed from his Rochester church (Associated Press)
  
  
• Earlier: Two N.H. congregations seek outside help | Members of at least two Episcopal churches are asking an out of state diocese to supervise their congregations after an openly gay man was consecrated as bishop of New Hampshire. (Associated Press)
  
  
• Gay bishop describes recent developments | Answers to frequently asked questions (Associated Press)