Family Of Audrie Pott To File Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Teens Accused Of Sexual Assault
The family of Audrie Pott, the California teen who hanged herself after photos of her allegedly being sexual assaulted while passed out at a school party were posted online, was expected to file a wrongful death suit Monday against the teenage defendants accused of committing the attacks.
Eight days after the alleged September assault, Pott hanged herself when photos of the alleged attack were posted online. On Facebook, the 15-year-old Saratoga High School students wrote, “The whole world knows ... my life is ruined.”
Three teenagers, who were not named because they are minors, were charged with sexually abusing Pott at a Saratoga, Calif., house party. Two of the defendants were classmates of Pott, while the third was a former Saratoga High School student.
Now the defendants are expected to face civil litigation on top of the criminal charges, Yahoo News reports.
Bob Allard, attorney for the Pott family, told the website he intended to file a wrongful death suit against the teenage defendants on Monday.
"We intend to prove in a court of law that her death was related to what they did,” Allard said.
Allard said the family decided to file the lawsuit upon reading comments from the defendants’ lawyers in the Los Angeles Times.
"Much of what has been reported over the last several days is inaccurate. Most disturbing is the attempt to link [Pott's] suicide to the specific actions of these three boys," the three attorneys -- Eric S. Geffon, Alan M. Lagod and Benjamin J. Williams -- wrote in a statement sent to the paper.
Allard accused the boys of trying to delete what he said were incriminating posts of the sexual assault.
“They were certainly aware enough and mature enough to carry out something as elaborate as this, and they should be punished accordingly,” the attorney told the Times.
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