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    Haven MonahanAnna Merlan
    3/23/15 4:55pm

    UPDATE

    Anna

    Here is the full statement from the Charlottesville Police...

    http://ftpcontent.worldnow.com/wset/PressStat...

    There's a lot more in there than you included in your reporting. For example, Chief Longo is interested in charging Jackie as a false accuser, but he is waiting on cooperation from the Commonwealth attorney for C'ville.

    Also, police concluded that Jackie fabricated the entire assault on the Corner where she claimed that a bottle was thrown at her and shattered on her face.

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      Anna MerlanHaven Monahan
      3/23/15 5:02pm

      That is indeed their full statement. Your statement is a mixture of true and false, though. There's nothing in there about "charging Jackie as a false accuser," and the chief was pretty clear that she's not being charged.

      But yes, the police concluded the bottle incident could not possibly have happened the way she describes. The details were significantly more muddled when presented verbally in the press conference, but here's the relevant portion, for everybody else reading this:

      On April 21, 2014, "Jackie" again met with Dean Eramo and reported a physical assault that was alleged to have occurred on April 6, 2014 on the University Corner in the vicinity of Elliewood Avenue. According to "Jackie" she was struck in the face by a glass bottle. She further advised that her roommate at the time, a nursing student, assisted her in removing glass from her ("Jackie's") face.

      In a subsequent interview by investigators, "Jackie's" roommate denied ever removing glass from "Jackie's" face. Further, she described "Jackie's" injury as an abrasion consistent with having fallen.

      According to "Jackie" she stood in the parking garage on Elliewood Avenue and called her mother. Yet, a subsequent search of phone records which we believe to be "Jackie's" failed to yield any evidence that such a call was made. In fact, no calls were made from April 5, 2014 from 8 p.m. to April 6, 2014 at 4 a.m. Further, a search of the police department's Computer Aided Dispatch records revealed that an officer responded to an unrelated call for service at 9 Elliewood Avenue, adjacent to the garage where "Jackie" was alleged to have made the phone call. The officer was on location for several minutes and would have likely been visible to "Jackie" had she been at that location during that same time frame.

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      DudeHaven Monahan
      3/23/15 5:08pm

      Hey Haven Monahan, I think the police in Charlottesville are looking to speak to you. Bring George Glass with you.

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    MiltonBerlesCo-IMeanBurnerAnna Merlan
    3/23/15 3:54pm

    I started to type a snarky comment about how "I'm sure Jezebel will do the responsible thing and retract or apologize blah blah..." but stopped because I'd rather ask a question.

    What do you, Anna Merlan (or any Jezzie's really), feel is the appropriate course of action to take in light of the new information regarding this case? The reason I stopped typing my snarky comment is that it's still quite plausible some sort of assault or non-consensual activity occurred. Since I'm not a douche, I know that it doesn't matter the "degree" of assault (was she plied with drinks to the point where she couldn't consent or instead simply forcibly assaulted instead). Assault is assault.

    That said, this is as good an example as any of the need to have a conversation about the vilification of supposed perpetrators who have not yet been convicted in a court of law. In my mind, women should be out for the blood of other women who falsely accuse or cry assault when no crime occurred. It has a chilling effect on the desire of law enforcement to take seriously/pursue allegations and gives ammo to all the jackasses out there who would have use believe that most of the time it's the woman's fault.

    My point is...I don't think Jezebel needs to be like apologizing to the frat or anything but there's a case to be made that you guys SHOULD have a discussion or something to that effect to address something like this.

    Just my two cents, I'm sure my comment will be relegated to the greys...

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      MichaelMiltonBerlesCo-IMeanBurner
      3/23/15 4:07pm

      "I'm sure Jezebel will do the responsible thing and retract or apologize blah blah..."

      Jezebel (and Anna specifically) did in fact retract and apologize.

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      SipowitzMiltonBerlesCo-IMeanBurner
      3/23/15 4:08pm

      You're not a douche, but you have to make your burner mocking a well-known Gawker commenter. Sure thing, pal. Oh, and you suggesting that women need to go after women who falsely accuse of rape is as stupid and unhelpful as telling black people they need to address black-on-black crime.

      First, what we still need to do, regardless of whatever number of false rape accusations are out there, is teach people not to rape from a young age. And, no, we aren't just talking about the "jump out of the bushes at night" rape; we need to teach about consent, teach about respecting people's bodily integrity.

      Second, the desire of law enforcement to investigate rape cases is as old as time. It was never deterred by false accusations and still isn't. This is because law enforcement is generally run by men who hold conservative values and conservative values only consider the above mentioned stranger-danger rape serious. Everything else is just "regret sex" which is horseshit and is in no way to be blamed on women.

      Third, check yourself, douche.

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    Anna MerlanAnna Merlan
    3/23/15 5:25pm

    And now here is this:

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      Haven MonahanAnna Merlan
      3/23/15 6:04pm

      Phi Psi would be smart to go after Gawker and Jezebel in addition to Rolling Stone, Sabrina and Jackie.

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    Bokbunzajoo1Anna Merlan
    3/23/15 3:58pm

    anna, any news on sabrina rubin erderly, the writer of the original article? Has she basically disappeared since the story fell apart? It's curious there hasn't been much news about her whereabouts and the consequences she is facing...

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      Anna MerlanBokbunzajoo1
      3/23/15 4:01pm

      No. I've reached out to her for comment several times and I know several other people have as well. She's declined to comment. I would expect to hear from her publicly after Columbia Journalism School publishes their review of her reporting.

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      Bokbunzajoo1Anna Merlan
      3/23/15 4:09pm

      Yeah i guess it's smart of her to say nothing right now. It's a pity that so much careless and shoddy reporting can create so much damage for rape and assault victims everywhere. I am curious to see if/how she will respond and what she has been up to since her story was debunked. Thanks for your response!

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    steve62Anna Merlan
    3/23/15 4:13pm

    Boy you really screwed up on that one.

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      Anna Merlansteve62
      3/23/15 4:13pm

      I sure did, Steve.

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      benjaminalloverAnna Merlan
      3/23/15 5:04pm

      Holy Moley. Troll central up in here.

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    VodkaRocks&aPieceofToastAnna Merlan
    3/23/15 3:38pm

    This whole thing sucks and I hate it.

    Anna, you however have been a class act through this whole story. Appreciate you following it and handling it like a true professional :)

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      forgotmypassword484590VodkaRocks&aPieceofToast
      3/23/15 5:44pm

      "class act" except for that part where Anna smeared everyone who was originally questioning the RS article.

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      VodkaRocks&aPieceofToastforgotmypassword484590
      3/23/15 5:47pm

      she apologized for it and has since reported genuinely and fairly. get over it

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    Kenny and the LlamasAnna Merlan
    3/23/15 4:51pm

    Your apology was brave and possessed of integrity. As we see literally every day, most people with any public voice never offer more than a faux-pology. Taking on this article after that apology is real character.

    Everyone makes mistakes, in this case starting with Rolling Stone. Not everyone stands up in the open to face the incoming rotten vegetables.

    Just thought this was a point that needed made amongst the flak.

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      Fisk the FishKenny and the Llamas
      3/24/15 6:16am

      Kinja's being crazy so I'm not sure about whether my like counted- looked like the counter rolled over, on this end- so I just want to chime in to agree. Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody is wrong sometimes. Not everybody owns up to it with such grace, and then afterwards, you have continued to face it again and again instead of just avoiding the whole sticky mess (which would be the natural urge, for many, and no wonder why!) It shows courage and integrity, and I really respect that.

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    Haven MonahanAnna Merlan
    3/23/15 6:06pm

    Longo is still considering charges against Jackie, but he needs the support of the Commonwealth Attorney first.

    Here is the quote and the link...

    Longo said he would not pursue charges of making false allegations of sexual assault without the agreement of the commonwealth attorney.

    http://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2015/0...

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      jifaner13Anna Merlan
      3/23/15 3:55pm

      This is an utter mess, but this can't be stressed enough: "Having police involvement at the early stages of these investigations is extremely important,." I understand not everyone can or will come forward after a rape, but if you plan to press charges, the sooner the better. It's hard enough to get police to take it seriously as it is :/

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