St. Paul’s Rape Verdict Is Not Guilty

St. Paul’s Rape Verdict Is Not Guilty

On Friday, jurors found that a former student of St. Paul’s Prep School in New Hampshire not guilty of felony rape. Owen Labrie was convicted on several misdemeanor charges though, including penetration of a minor. Each misdemeanor charge carries a 12-month prison sentence and Labrie will be listed as a sex offender for the next 10 years. He will be sentenced later. Labrie was charged with forcing sexual contact on a then-15-year-old freshman just days before graduation as part of the school’s “Senior Salute” tradition, in which the upperclassmen take the virginity of younger students. The accuser claimed she repeatedly told Labrie “no” while she held on to her clothes before giving in, but was unable to recall what actually happened. Labrie’s lawyer argued there was a lack of physical evidence and offered email exchanges as proof the meet-up was consensual.