Mike Tyson – was it rape?

110 students in a southern university were asked to write down whether they considered Mike Tyson guilty or innocent of rape of the beauty contestant for which he was convicted. Ten had no opinion, but of those who did, 80 thought him innocent and only 20 thought him guilty. Then, after seeing the film «Mike Tyson: The Movie» which showed his background as a juvenile delinquent and mentioned his problems with women, the only students who changed judgments from innocent to guilty were 25 white women. All male students and all 15 black students continued to consider him innocent.

Desiree Washington’s arguments

# She was only 18 and couldn’t know what she’d let herself in for;
# When a girl says no, even at the last moment, even when he is a known beast, even when she’s come to his room, it still means no;
# She thought long and hard about it the next day, consulted with her mother and then pressed charges;
# A girl’s previous sexual history has absolutely nothing to do with a rape charge;
# A girl can visit a man with that intention but his subsequent behaviour towards her can make her change her mind and if he doesn’t then stop, it’s rape.

Mike Tyson’s arguments

# His sexual history and reputation were well known by all;
# When he groped her earlier in the evening, she gave him her room number;
# She visited him instead after midnight;
# Next morning, the other contestants attested that she’d told them: ‘I think I was raped last night’;
# She decided whether she had been raped or not during the day and on her mother’s advice, decided to press charges;
# She took part in the competition that next evening anyway and she was reportedly in good condition
# She had accused a fellow student of rape three years earlier and when he asked her why she’d done that, she’d replied: "I had to say something to cover myself ...or I would have been in big trouble.'
Here.