11 year old girl blamed for being gang raped in Texas

There are times when I read something and I am simply left seething in rage. When I have to remind myself that things like vigilante justice are wrong and, based on its very nature, will always get out of control. And this is coming from someone who disdains violence.

Last November in Cleveland, Texas an 11 year old girl was gang raped. Currently there have been 18 arrests. The girl was offered a ride and was then taken to an abandoned trailer where she was assaulted by the accused rapists, age 17-26. They took photos and recorded the event on their phones and began distributing it. Eventually copies made it to the girl's school where a student brought it to the attention of a teacher who approached authorities.

The event has brought out the sexist undertones of parts of the community where people began siding with the rapists stating that the girl was dressed indecently.

"She dressed older than her age, wearing makeup and fashions more appropriate to a woman in her 20s."

So are these disgusting people trying to say that had she been 20 then being raped by nearly twenty men would be perfectly fine? While many, including some family members of the accused rapists are speaking out against the crime and the misogyny that has been unveiled because of it, still many cling to their horrid beliefs.

The event, and the reprehensible view that many in the town have taken has been brought to national attention after Florida state Representative Kathleen Passidomo, while speaking in favor of a House bill to mandate school dress codes stated:

"There was an article about an 11 year old girl who was gang raped in Texas by 18 young men because she was dressed like a 21-year-old prostitute, and her parents let her attend school like that. And I think it’s incumbent upon us to create some areas where students can be safe in school and show up in proper attire so what happened in Texas doesn’t happen to our students."

This is vile. I am familiar with people blaming the victim before but it is still something that makes me so angry that I cannot believe such people should be allowed in office, around children or even in society as a whole. It shows an utter lack of empathy that borders on sociopathy. This girl has had her childhood ruined by the callous acts of these men and now she is being blamed for it? And for what? Not covering herself up properly? How is this any different then in fundamentalist Islamic countries that require a woman to cover herself lest she 'tempt' men to rape her?

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References:
New York Times
Examiner.com