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April 6, 2015

Rolling Stone Retracts University of Virginia Rape Story after Probe Finds Errors 
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Rolling Stone magazine has retracted a story about sexual assault and
impunity at the University of Virginia after a months-long probe by the
Columbia Graduate School of Journalism found several errors. The article
centered on a student named "Jackie" who says she was gang-raped at a
fraternity and then ignored by school officials. But Rolling Stone
backed off the story last year after acknowledging discrepancies and
raising questions about its source. The Columbia researchers found
several missteps including failing to identify Jackie's alleged attacker
and not independently interviewing three of Jackie's friends despite
quoting them. The story's reporter, Sabrina Rubin Erdely has issued an
apology, including to "any victims of sexual assault who may feel
fearful as a result of my article." The Columbia report notes UVA had a
"flawed record of managing sexual assault cases." From 1998 until the
beginning of the fall semester, UVA has expelled 183 students for
so-called honor code violations, like cheating — and none for
sexual assault. Meanwhile, the Charlottesvile police have kept Jackie's
case open, saying while they have not found sufficient facts to support
her account: "That doesn't mean something terrible didn't happen to
Jackie."

 

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