U.S. Naval Academy Sexual Assault Case: Woman Testifies Not Remembering Much From Night of Incident
ByA U.S. Navy midshipman testified Wednesday that she did not fully remember being sexually assaulted more than a year ago, the Associated Press reported.
The woman, now a senior at the U.S. Naval Academy, was a 20-year-old sophomore at the time of the alleged incident in April 2012. The night in question was an off-campus party in Annapolis, Md. at a house known as "the football house" because of its affiliation to the Navy football team.
The victim testified in a hearing to determine whether or not the three will be court-martialed. The proceeding is called an Article 32 hearing and a military judge will listen to testimony from both sides, weigh evidence and provide Vice Adm. Michael Miller, the academy superintendent, with a report. Miller will then decide to order administrative sanctions, send the case to court-martial or dismiss the charges.
She said three of the academy's football players, Josh Tate, Eric Graham and Tra'ves Bush, sexually assaulted her at the party where she was heavily intoxicated to the point of wanting to pass out.
She said her and some friends were drinking in her room at the academy when they left for the party. She remembered feeling "overwhelmed" and "dizzy" from having too much to drink. She said she spent the night at the house and woke up without her phone or purse and with a sore back.
She testified to having consensual sex that Sunday morning at the house with a student who was not charged. She noticed mean-spirited messages on her Twitter account and it was not until she asked Tate about what happened that night when she really learned what happened.
"[Tate] told me that we did have sex," she said.
The messages on Twitter were directed at her and her former relationship partners and that rumors began to spread that she had multiple sex partners at the party. She then asked Tate if she and Graham had sex.
"He said yes, and then I was like, 'I don't want to hear anymore,'" she said.
She was afraid to pursue an investigation because she said she did not "want anyone else to get in trouble."
Also afraid her mother might force her to leave the academy, she decided to proceed with an investigation when she learned others might be blamed.
Adam Weinstein, Bush's attorney, brought up his client's previous sexual relationship with the victim.
"He wasn't mean to me by any means," she said on cross-examination with Weinstein. When asked if she thought Bush could be capable of rape, she said, "I don't think that he would."
She said she could not remember if she had sex with Bush that night, but Weinstein said his client had told her that he told the Navy investigators the two had.
Cross-examination lasted until 8:30 p.m. Wednesday night and is expected to continue Thursday.
The three men face charges of aggravated sexual assault, abusive sexual assault and making false statements.