Two Former Vanderbilt Players Found Guilty of Rape

About seven years ago, the Duke lacrosse program was hit by one of the largest rape scandals in recent memory. In the process, the team was shut down for the remainder of the 2007 season, and three players were kicked off the team. Furthermore, the school and the sport of lacrosse were ridiculed and tarnished before the players were found not guilty.

In 2014, a different rape case has stolen headlines, and it includes two former Vanderbilt Commodore football players- Cory Batey and Brandon Vandenburg. The two were charged of raping a female college student in June of 2013, and it was announced Tuesday that they were found guilty of the accusations.

Accounts of the night stated that the players carried the clearly intoxicated woman up into bed before the alleged rape took place. There were several graphics reports leaked leading up to the trial, but ultimately, Batey was found guilty of five felony counts of aggravated rape and two charges of aggravated sexual battery. Vandenburg, on the other hand, was found guilty on the same charges plus additional charges of evidence tampering and unlawful photography.

It remains to be seen how long of a sentence each of the former athletes will receive; however, the sentencing hearing will take place in the coming months.  Nonetheless, the actions on that fateful night seems to have ruined the lives of these two players and several others involved, once again bringing to light the terrible actions that take place on college campuses.

The horrific actions of these players have not reached quite the broad scale that the Duke lacrosse scandal did, but is significantly worse in all meanings of the word. The issue of rape occurs throughout the world on a daily basis and must be dealt with on college campuses across the United States- especially with collegiate athletes.

 

*Section Photo credit to Larry McCormack, The Tennessean; Featured Photo (above) credit to Samuel  M. Simpkins/AP.

Wake Forest/UNC Agree to Home and Home Series
Wake Forest/UNC Agree to Home and Home Series