Sometimes official policies need to be tossed out the window — especially when they no longer make sense.
Today Rolling Stone came out with a statement saying that even they have serious concerns about the legitimacy of the alleged gang rape they recently reported concerning a woman named “Jackie” at the University of Virginia.
The Washington Post, meanwhile, steadfastly continues to name the now vilified, lawyered-up fraternity the woman claims committed the rape.
“Our policy is not to name victims of sexual assault. While we are reporting doubt about the account she gave, we are not reporting she was never sexually assaulted,” said Washington Post spokeswoman Kris Coratti in a statement to The Mirror. “She continues to claim to be a victim of sex assault, so for now we are not naming her.”
In a Washington Post story published Thursday afternoon, they continued to describe “Jackie” (a nickname they say they use at her request) as an unqualified “victim.”
The piece reports that even “Jackie’s” friends doubt her account since details have changed over time. The story states, “The Post generally does not identify victims of sexual assault without their permission, and the Post is identifying Jackie by her real nickname at her request.”
Wrote Will Dana, managing editor of Rolling Stone, “In the face of new information, there now appear to be discrepancies in Jackie’s account, and we have come to the conclusion that our trust in her was misplaced.”
If so, it’s time to name her. It’s one thing to truthfully accuse someone of rape. It’s quite another to fabricate a fairy tale that severely damages the reputations of innocent men.