The Outrage of the Day (Warning: Intense)

And I say 'day' because this sort of shit happens on a daily basis.

I've known for some time that Australia treats the Aboriginal people with disrespect, but this is so far beyond the pale that I don't think there are words (and make no mistake - the relationship between Aboriginal Australia and white Australia makes a huge difference here):

NINE men who pleaded guilty last month to gang-raping a 10-year-old girl at the Aurukun Aboriginal community on Cape York have escaped a prison term, with the sentencing judge saying the child victim "probably agreed" to have sex with them.

I have no coherent reaction to this.

There is more:

Cairns-based District Court judge Sarah Bradley ordered that the six teenage juveniles not even have a conviction recorded for the 2005 offence, and that they be placed on a 12-month probation order.

Judge Bradley sentenced three men over the age of consent of 16 - aged 17, 18 and 26 - to six months' imprisonment, with the sentence suspended for 12 months.

Because the 28-day appeal period has expired, the sentences cannot be altered.

....just go read the whole thing.

Via Feministe.

Things That Make Me Go Puke in the Night

As if cross-country practice isn't hard enough:

VALPARAISO, Ind. -- Practice runs for Ben Franklin Middle School's cross-country team are getting scary.

Less than a month ago, a 17-year-old Valparaiso boy was arrested for allegedly shooting at the runners with paintballs. On Monday, a 16-year-old Valparaiso High School student was arrested for allegedly yelling a threat at a girl running with the team.

According to police, a red older-model Buick slowed behind the pack as the girls ran south on Campbell, near Northview, around 3:45 p.m. on Sept. 5. A teen in the back seat leaned out the passenger-side window and allegedly yelled, "Keep going or I'll rape you," at a sixth-grader.

As Jessica at Feministing notes, who says we don't live in a rape culture?