MySpace sued by angry parents of sexually assaulted users

[zekrahminator]

Four angry families are suing MySpace, because all of them have one thing in common. All four families have a daughter that's been sexually assaulted by a guy they've met on MySpace, and been seduced into meeting. Two law firms, Barry & Loewy of Austin, Texas, and Arnold & Itkin of Houston, says the familes are filing separate suits in the Los Angeles Superior court. MySpace is being accused of being negligent, reckless, fraudulent and misrepresenting itself. MySpace wants to point out that Myspace is "an industry leader on Internet safety", and that they make some serious effort to get parents to take responsibility for their kids. The families of the victims are after several million dollars each.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Steevo]

I already kinda posted this.



And called the parents losers, and trash.

 

[evil bill]

What next - suing bars and nightclubs or other places where you can meet members of the opposite sex???

 

[Bob The Fish]

Sue happy americans........ Blame there problems on other people. its a sad world we live in.


(BTW i am not insaulting all americans, just the sue happy ones, I know a lot of Smart people that use there brains that live in america problem is there a small minorty)

 

[Deleted member 24505]

personally,i've nvr liked myspace.i think its a pedo's hangout.

 

[Zubasa]

I guess some Americans simply have too much free time for this kinda stuff...

 

[LonGun]

Well I believe myspace.com is just like a center spot where people around the world can share, communicate, hang out (online), even do business. It's a online public for world community. And of course, every where you go, you always might end up meeting bastards out there, or even worst.. killers..., generally dangerous people. They're every where in the globe. The parents should have blamed their own kids for being ... not so smart by listenning to someone they have never met. This myspace.com + sexsual crime thing had been round for a while now. Even the non-myspace people know or have heard of it. All of the myspace members should have some how read, heard, or experienced from a friend on myspace already. And they're still falling for those bastards. It's their own fault (and the bastard of course). Don't sue the company, sue your own kids for not listenning to you or even yourself for not spending enough efforts on them. There's got to be a safe way, try harder to find it.

 

[Dippyskoodlez]

This just adds to the "User, Admin" idea.

Idiot users, = problems. always.

Same applys to real life. Be an idiot about things, and ... suprise?

Seriously, theres somethings you cant control, but... being stalked on myspace?

Theres privacy features for a reason. Use them, morons.

 

[WarEagleAU]

I dont condone this, in the end, it comes to to naive, irresponsible people meeting these folks. You have to be a complete moron to meet someone you never even seen before or knew.

 

[Benpi]

(BTW i am not insaulting all americans, just the sue happy ones, I know a lot of Smart people that use there brains that live in america problem is there a small minorty)

At least most of us can pass 3rd grade English...

 

[Thermopylae_480]

Perhaps because English is our primary language... Please everyone let's not start a flame war. No unwarranted attacks on the intelligence of those in America or anywhere else. There are idiots everywhere. That's the final word.

Anyway, it's not Myspace's fault. It was a failure in parenting. If your kid gets kidnapped off the streets or seduced by some predator there, it's not the fault of the street dept. I guess though, if the streets weren't there at all, then they couldn't get abducted off them right?

 

[Bob The Fish]

At least most of us can pass 3rd grade English...

Ya my spelling is teable but its due to a learning difficulty so deal.

 

[GLD]

From Myspace to Myplace.

 

[evil bill]

Lets be clear though - whether on line or in real life, individuals have a responsibility to take reasonable steps to protect themselves, as do their parents, but ultimately they are the victims and should receive a degree of sympathy. The wrongdoers here are the predators preying on these vulnerable people regardless of their own actions.

If it was your sister being attacked the last thing you would want to hear is that it was her own fault. Its almost like saying they deserved it which is plain callous.

 

[mcloughj]

If it was your sister being attacked the last thing you would want to hear is that it was her own fault. Its almost like saying they deserved it which is plain callous.

It would probably be the last thing you'd want to hear alright but it wouldn't make it any less true. I wouldn't let my sister meet someone from a site like this, and i'd make sure she'd know about the dangers. Kids should know that they shouldn't go with strangers whether it be on the street or on the web, it's the parents fault if they don't know this noone else's.

 

[zekrahminator]

I guess though, if the streets weren't there at all, then they couldn't get abducted off them right?

Hey yeah you're right .

 

[cdawall]

this goes back to the fat people that sued McDonald's for making them fat
Message to sue happies: GIVE IT UP

 

[Zubasa]

this goes back to the fat people that sued McDonald's for making them fat
Message to sue happies: GIVE IT UP

I know, that is like the dumbest thing in American's History.
It's not like McDonald's force you to eat their food

 

[evil bill]

It would probably be the last thing you'd want to hear alright but it wouldn't make it any less true. I wouldn't let my sister meet someone from a site like this, and i'd make sure she'd know about the dangers. Kids should know that they shouldn't go with strangers whether it be on the street or on the web, it's the parents fault if they don't know this noone else's.

Yes. This is true. And in the case of this story, it is wrong for these parents to try and shift their own guilt by blaming MySpace. Im just pointing out that people are very quick to defend MySpace and blame the victims and there parents, but no-body (except LonGun) is mentioning that the sickos who orchestrated these crimes are the ones we should be vilifying.

This is just a small step away from defending a rapist who claimed that the woman he raped was "wearing a short skirt" and was therefore "asking for it". Being sexually assaulted just for being young and naive is bad enough, but to be told that it was purely your own or your parents fault is wrong.

 

[PyroInc]

I dont feel that the problem is myspace it is infact the parenting from the parents in combination with the sick intentions of the child pervs. But the parents have to blame someone I guess:shadedshu

 

[PyroInc]

this goes back to the fat people that sued McDonald's for making them fat
Message to sue happies: GIVE IT UP

the sad part of that fiasco was that they won

 

[Steevo]

This is just a small step away from defending a rapist who claimed that the woman he raped was "wearing a short skirt" and was therefore "asking for it". Being sexually assaulted just for being young and naive is bad enough, but to be told that it was purely your own or your parents fault is wrong.

No, this is a long step away.

And to be fair we must address ONE issue at a time.

And if the idea of wearing a short skirt isn't to attract sexual attention then what is the reason? There is no other reason. One down.


Does it mean that a woman is "asking" to be raped? No. A rape is a crime of domination and not sexual deprevation. A man feels the need to dominate a woman, to make them feel like a worthless object, they feel the way to do this is through a sexual act. Some men do this by beating women too. So by wearing a short skirt a woman is not "asking" to be raped, but is trying to attract sexual attention, and by doing so can make herself more prone to such unwanted advances. Her wearing the short skirt to attract such attention is a issue that she needs to deal with herself.


If the childrens parent were truly active in their childs life the most likely would NOT have happened. That is a fact, but there are times when another human will hold back some or all of the facts, and that is no ones fault but their own.

So being told that it was her fault is partially true. But more it was-is her parents fault for not being involved enough in her life to find out what she was doing and who she was talking to.

 

[evil bill]

And if the idea of wearing a short skirt isn't to attract sexual attention then what is the reason? There is no other reason.

Controversial - Im sure many women would line up to argue this opinion but I'm not getting drawn on that one.

Im not claiming those attacked weren't partially responsible due to the choices they made (read the first paragraphs of my posts). I am saying that the role of the attacker is being too easily ignored in the allocation of blame by some people. Thats it.

 

[Steevo]

You are correct, wearing a short skirt to reveal parts of a womans body that isn't normally seen is normal, err, wait.



It is to attract attention,and they "use" what they can. It is a misguided effort to gain or continue their feeling of being appreciated or popular due to a lack of proper motivation in other aspects or parts of their life.


They use it as a carpenter would use a hammer, or a welder a helmet. And if they cannot understand that there are those that will be set off, or misguided by their dress then perhaps they should choose another way to dress or stop wondering at why these things happen.


But that won't due now will it? That would meant that poor little Barbie could have some of her poor little rights infringed upon.




It is the same with any other facet of life, you can choose to push the limit to attract attention, but just be ready for the bad along with the good.

 

[ex_reven]

mini skirts of the future will come equipped with "mini guns"