St. Paul’s School commends ‘remarkable moral courage and strength’ of rape-trial victim
St. Paul’s School commended “the remarkable moral courage and strength’’ of the victim in a statement after the verdict in Owen Labrie’s trial, and said her “unwavering commitment to the truth’’ was inspiring.
Jurors acquitted Labrie, 19, of the more serious sexual assault charges Friday, but found him guilty of four misdemeanor charges and one felony. The crime occurred on the prep school’s Concord, New Hampshire campus when Labrie and the girl were students there.
The victim and her family released a statement moments after the verdict, saying they feel “betrayed’’ by the school that “allowed and fostered a toxic culture that left our daughter and other students at risk to sexual violence.’’
St. Paul’s said it is the school’s responsibility to have a community that “is built on respect, caring, and support for one another.’’
Here is the full statement from St. Paul’s School:
“We must first commend the remarkable moral courage and strength demonstrated by the young woman who has suffered through this nightmare. Her resolve and unwavering commitment to the truth have been inspiring to us and to many outside our School community. We can only hope that time will bring some measure of healing and comfort to both her and her family.
The entire St. Paul’s School community has been deeply affected by this incident. It is our responsibility to ensure that our students live and learn together in a community that is built on respect, caring, and support for one another. Anything short of that cannot and will not be accepted. We will continue to focus on teaching our students our core values – that they live honorably, respectfully, and never forget to be kind – and that they learn and grow in ways that lead to productive and respectful relationships throughout their entire lives.’’
Michael G. Hirschfeld ’85
Rector
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