History of Central Park: how five teenagers were accused of rape, but did not commit the crime
22 october 2024 в 00:13
Thirty years ago, the city with millions turned its hatred towards five teenagers. The Central Park Five — Korey Wise, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Antron McCray, and Yusef Salaam — were accused of raping a white female jogger. They were vilified in the press, Donald Trump demanded their execution, and they were found guilty of a series of crimes in two separate trials. However, they did not commit the crime. More than ten years later, they were exonerated of this crime.
Their story became an example of the injustices faced by black and brown people in the legal system — four of the «Central Park Five» are African American, and one is Latino. In their lawsuit against Trump, here is what you need to know about the five men and their case.
On the night of April 19, 1989, Trisha Meili went for a run in Central Park. Several hours later, the then 28-year-old investment banker was found in a ravine, according to AM New York. She had been raped and brutally beaten, suffering a fractured skull among other life-threatening injuries. The attack was one of several that occurred in Central Park that night, and it was suspected that a roving group of 30+ teenagers aged 13 to 17 committed this heinous crime. After the police conducted their investigation, they charged seven teenagers in connection with the crimes, five of whom later became known as the «Central Park Five».
The attack left Trisha in a coma for 12 days. After she recovered and regained the ability to speak, she said she did not remember the incident and could not identify who had attacked and raped her.
Although the Central Park Five initially confessed to their involvement in the Central Park attacks, the teenagers and their lawyers insisted that they were coerced into giving false statements during lengthy interrogations. Despite the lack of physical evidence linking them to the crime scene, and inconsistencies in the testimonies (their descriptions of the jogger and injuries did not match the evidence, according to Esquire), the teenagers were found guilty of various charges in two separate trials in 1990.
Yusef, Raymond, and Antron were found guilty of rape, assault, robbery, and riot in the attack, as well as in two separate assaults on two male joggers. Kevin was found guilty of attempted murder, rape, sodomy, assault, and robbery, and Korey was found guilty of sexual abuse and assault. They served between 6 and 13 years, and all were released by the time the truth was revealed.
In June 2002, Matias Reyes claimed that he was the one who attacked and raped Trisha Meili. The killer and serial rapist was serving 33 years for other crimes when he confessed to the crime. His DNA matched the genetic material found at the crime scene, and, according to the New York Times, he «knew what he was talking about, and that the five boys did not do it».
In December 2002, then-Manhattan prosecutor Robert Morgenthau recommended dismissing all charges against the Central Park Five. The convictions were vacated, legally as if the trials never happened. More than ten years later, they were exonerated.
«At what point did we cross the line from the fine and noble pursuit of true civil liberties to the reckless and dangerous permissive atmosphere that allows criminals of any age to beat and rape a helpless woman, and then laugh at the suffering of her family? And why do they laugh? They laugh because they know that soon, very soon, they will be back on the streets to rape and kill again — and without much personal risk», - wrote Donald Trump in an advertisement that appeared in the city’s four most popular newspapers on May 1, 1989. This now-infamous ad, which cost the real estate magnate $ 85,000, was used as evidence of Trump’s long-standing policy
Their story became an example of the injustices faced by black and brown people in the legal system — four of the «Central Park Five» are African American, and one is Latino. In their lawsuit against Trump, here is what you need to know about the five men and their case.
On the night of April 19, 1989, Trisha Meili went for a run in Central Park. Several hours later, the then 28-year-old investment banker was found in a ravine, according to AM New York. She had been raped and brutally beaten, suffering a fractured skull among other life-threatening injuries. The attack was one of several that occurred in Central Park that night, and it was suspected that a roving group of 30+ teenagers aged 13 to 17 committed this heinous crime. After the police conducted their investigation, they charged seven teenagers in connection with the crimes, five of whom later became known as the «Central Park Five».
The attack left Trisha in a coma for 12 days. After she recovered and regained the ability to speak, she said she did not remember the incident and could not identify who had attacked and raped her.
Although the Central Park Five initially confessed to their involvement in the Central Park attacks, the teenagers and their lawyers insisted that they were coerced into giving false statements during lengthy interrogations. Despite the lack of physical evidence linking them to the crime scene, and inconsistencies in the testimonies (their descriptions of the jogger and injuries did not match the evidence, according to Esquire), the teenagers were found guilty of various charges in two separate trials in 1990.
Yusef, Raymond, and Antron were found guilty of rape, assault, robbery, and riot in the attack, as well as in two separate assaults on two male joggers. Kevin was found guilty of attempted murder, rape, sodomy, assault, and robbery, and Korey was found guilty of sexual abuse and assault. They served between 6 and 13 years, and all were released by the time the truth was revealed.
In June 2002, Matias Reyes claimed that he was the one who attacked and raped Trisha Meili. The killer and serial rapist was serving 33 years for other crimes when he confessed to the crime. His DNA matched the genetic material found at the crime scene, and, according to the New York Times, he «knew what he was talking about, and that the five boys did not do it».
In December 2002, then-Manhattan prosecutor Robert Morgenthau recommended dismissing all charges against the Central Park Five. The convictions were vacated, legally as if the trials never happened. More than ten years later, they were exonerated.
«At what point did we cross the line from the fine and noble pursuit of true civil liberties to the reckless and dangerous permissive atmosphere that allows criminals of any age to beat and rape a helpless woman, and then laugh at the suffering of her family? And why do they laugh? They laugh because they know that soon, very soon, they will be back on the streets to rape and kill again — and without much personal risk», - wrote Donald Trump in an advertisement that appeared in the city’s four most popular newspapers on May 1, 1989. This now-infamous ad, which cost the real estate magnate $ 85,000, was used as evidence of Trump’s long-standing policy
© Smirnova Olga
