If a boy is raped at school by another boy, can the victim's parents be denied the identity of the rapist, because he's a minor?

Legally yes, until the suspect is found guilty in a court of law, because he is a minor. And we live in a country that due process of law starts of with being innocent until proved guilty - in a court of law. Since a charge of Rape is a hefty thing, the due process and assumption of innocence until proved guilty would mean that the suspect would get to enjoy some comfort in not having to face a public scrutiny.

Mind adults don't get that comfort, if you are a suspect and even if the court dismisses the case or finds them innocent, the publicity alone ruins their life.

Different states have slightly different laws, from what I have looked up so far, it would appear that minors enjoy a certain anonymity to different ages, depending on where they are for felonies. 14-16-18 are the numbers. Also different states have different circumstances on how to charge and trial a minor as an adult.

Thanks David. I never did understand why a minor's name always have to be witheld from something. It just seems that the victim's parents should be allowed to know the little demon's name, in a case like this.

How would the parents benefit from that knowledge? The assailant is a minor and will be handled by the courts and the juvenile system, why would the parents of the victim need to know the child's name?
Curious, though, does the victim know his attacker? If so, why would he not tell his parents himself?
Unfortunately, in order to protect all minors, we must also protect the minors that commit crimes -possibly in the hope that they will grow up to be better people because we gave them a second chance.

Elexina, it seems more like a 'right' than a 'benefit', even tho it might be beneficial to ones mind.

This was not a news story, but the story of the Mom telling it on another site that I frequent. There is a link, but I can't get it to work. I usually send a link to myself first, to see if it works, before I put it here, and it wouldn't open. Anyway she is gonna home school her son from now on. Somehow she got the run-around as to who should handle it...the school, the police, or CFS.

A run around in a violent crime? Wow.

Rights of children are above the rights of everyone else. Indeed, the word of a child holds more in court than the voice of ten adult witnesses. Sad state of affairs, but in a day and age where we fear abductors, molesters and other nefarious types, we have gone to the other extreme.

I too wonder why it is that the victim dosen't know who the perpetrator was in this instance.

David

If the child did not tell his parents who attacked him, then they really don't have a right to the information. The attacker was a child, as well, and that child has his own rights. The parents, in this situation, do not have applicable rights.
As I said, this is an unfortunate side effect of our desire to protect all minors more than we protect adults.

If boy A rapes boy B, then boy A is not fit for society.<---period
String him up and let the townspeople mock him. Everyone should know his identity so they can spit on his grave tomorrow, and everyday after.

quote:

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Originally posted by Kendor:
If boy A rapes boy B, then boy A is not fit for society.<---period
String him up and let the townspeople mock him. _Everyone_ should know his identity so they can spit on his grave tomorrow, and everyday after.

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OMG! You can't be serious!!!!!!