
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 31, 1993                   TAG: 9303310333
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

SERIOUS CRIME IS DOWNPLAYED

I AM VERY displeased with the article entitled "Wrestling team, coach disciplined" in the Virginia section of the March 10 Roanoke Times & World-News. It downplays the extremely solemn issue of an alleged rape that two Franklin County High School students have been accused of committing.

The title of the article mentions nothing about the alleged rape. It's not until the second paragraph that the reader finds out that the two students have been accused of rape. Then, the incident is given no more attention than the boys drinking beer, which is ludicrous. Underage drinking is a misdemeanor and rape is a felony.

Rape is a tremendously serious violent crime and should be addressed as such. It saddens me greatly to see reporting of this kind. Rape should not be treated so casually, as it affects millions of women. To downplay it is to diminish the women who have gone through this traumatic experience. MARY E. PASLEY MONETA

by CNB