Keith Urban Concert in Boston Scene of Alleged Rape. When Will This Stop?

10 years ago Liv Carter Comments Off on Keith Urban Concert in Boston Scene of Alleged Rape. When Will This Stop?

I was just starting to consider lunch, but I just lost my appetite. I feel sick.

As The Boston Globe reports, 18-year-old Sean Murphy was charged with rape following an alleged assault in the lawn section of the Xfinity Center during a Keith Urban performance.

A West Roxbury man has been arrested after allegedly raping a female fan in front of onlookers at a Keith Urban concert Saturday in Mansfield. Sean Murphy, 18, was allegedly on top of the victim on the lawn at the Xfinity Center as bystanders took photos and videos of the alleged assault on their cellphones, Mansfield police said in a statement Tuesday.

Echoes of Steubenville… When is this shit going to stop??

Another female concertgoer pushed Murphy off the victim, before the suspect ran into the crowd, police said.

He ran away because he wasn’t doing anything wrong, I suppose.

Murphy’s lawyer, Neil P. Crowley, said in a statement Tuesday that “This was a consensual act, not a sexual assault. There are no allegations of force or violence put against him. This was a private act that regrettably occurred in a public place. Mr. Murphy deeply regrets this incident and I’m sure the young woman does as well.”

And there it is. Rape apologetics. Of course.

The lawyer said the female allegedly assaulted was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time. He did not comment on whether his client was sober.

Meaning he probably wasn’t.

In my personal life, I am active in the social justice sphere, especially on issues regarding equality, sexism, and misogyny. Stories like this are so common they barely raise more than a “Oh what a shame…now let’s talk about last night’s American Idol episode.”

Because I know the sad statistics, I know that it is incredibly difficult to make a rape charge even happen. Often it’s he-said-she-said and there is not enough evidence to bring a case against the accused. Here, some helpful rape-enablers took photos and videos which are now being examined by law enforcement. It might still not be enough for a case and conviction, but at least it seems to be taken seriously.

Rape cases are extremely traumatic for the victim, beyond the violation of their bodily autonomy itself. The judgement of society, the victim blaming, the slut shaming, the “she shouldn’t have been wearing that,” take its toll and many victims end up dropping the charges because they can’t take it anymore. I hope that is not the case here, and it is properly investigated and brought to trial if appropriate.

Rape is not an issue of short-skirted females wandering down a dark alley at night. Rape occurs in full view, and with the tacit approval, of society. Every. Single. Day.

Let this please be the last such story I see. If you witness an assault, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. And don’t give me that “what can one person do?” excuse. In this case, one person did something, a woman, and it lead to a rape charge being investigated.

Like all big issues, this one starts with small things. Every crass comment about women, every “joke,” every unwanted behavior needs to be called out. Loudly and every time. It is time to start working harder on a society where it is made very clear that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.

 

Liv Carter

Liv Carter

Liv is a career coach for creatives, and the people who work with them.
She holds several certificates from Berklee College of Music, and a certificate in Positive Psychology from UC Berkeley.
Her main influences are coffee, cats, and Alexander Hamilton.
Liv Carter

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