It’s a good thing there are civil lawsuits in this country for victims who have been let down by the system. One such victim, a 17-year-old girl who has had her rape allegations against a group of boys thrown out, has now filed a civil lawsuit against the boys.

The unidentified victim was gang raped by a group of De Anza College baseball players at a co-ed party held at a baseball player’s house. She was drunk at the time of the rape, and the incident only came to light when three of her friends barged into the room and found her. She was apparently unconscious and was being raped, while at least eight other men stood around and watched.

The Santa Clara District Attorney’s office spent almost a year investigating the matter, but finally came to the conclusion that there wasn’t enough evidence for criminal charges. They made the decision not to prosecute the young men, saying the evidence was too slim. It didn’t help matters that the girl didn’t remember the rape. The women who barged into the room and witnessed the accident apparently didn’t see the men’s faces.

The young men who were in the room at the time of the rape seem to have given varying accounts of what happened, ruining the DA’s case further.

The result of all this was a terse announcement by the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office that “reprehensible” behavior had taken place at a player’s home on March 3, 2007, but it was impossible to find out what exactly happened.

The teen has now filed a lawsuit accusing the nine former players and another man at the party of men of sexually assaulting her. The charges include rape, false imprisonment, and violation of her privacy. The violation of privacy charge stems from the videotapes of the rape that the perpetrators reportedly circulated among their friends.

It now stands to the civil courts to give this young girl justice. After having suffered one of the most heinous crimes that could be committed, it must be frustrating to not even have the opportunity to face your torturers in court and accuse them of the crime. While we understand the hesitation in filing criminal charges against the perpetrators because of the lack of solid evidence, it still doesn’t help the young girl to know that these men could get away with scarring her for the rest of her life. It also sends a negative message to other rape victims.

Everybody, from the investigators to the district attorney’s office, seems to agree that there was rape committed that night at the party. But the way things work, the victim will probably not have her chance at justice from a criminal court. The video that the boys made so arrogantly could prove to be their nemesis. It will probably be used in the plaintiff’s arguments when the civil lawsuit comes up for hearing.

If have been the victim of a sexual assault, you need the help of an experienced California personal injury lawyer. Contact an attorney at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.