Cara Stengel is a basketball star at Boulder High School. She is spending a month in jail for violent bullying. Her case is disturbing because of its senselessness and apparent pervasiveness.

As she was being sentenced last week for beating up a 14-year-old girl, the 18-year-old Stengel apologized. "I am so sorry for what has happened," she told the victim's family. Tears dribbled down her cheeks. Then she turned to the judge and claimed that she had "given people control over my emotions." She seemed to shift blame away from herself: "This is the most horrible thing that has ever happened to me."

The most horrible thing that's happened to her? Let's be clear, here. The perpetrator is not the victim.

In November, the 14-year-old victim was driven to Boulder Reservoir by older kids. The victim, who had no idea what was about to happen, was summoned from the car, whereupon Stengel appeared, screamed at her, threw juice on her, shoved her to the ground, and pummeled her into a stupor. About 15 young people stood and watched. One videotaped the assault. No one helped the victim.

The victim suffered a black eye and multiple contusions. She was bleeding profusely. Stengel was not injured. Evidence indicates that this was a set-up, that Stengel and her cohorts conspired to corner the victim and beat her to a pulp.

Stengel denies any conspiracy, and she denies that the assault was anything other than a "fight." But she also denied, initially, that the assault had been videotaped, and she herself destroyed that critical piece of evidence. Her credibility is nil, and not just for those reasons.

Last fall, Stengel and other seniors at Boulder High School apparently launched a crusade of intimidation, humiliation and harassment against younger girls. Stengel and others reportedly published a "senior women's 2002 hit list," which included the names of 21 younger girls, along with mean, threatening and sexually derogatory remarks about each girl.

The 14-year-old victim's name topped the hit list.

Additionally, Stengel helped write a 26-line rhyme about the victim, which includes such comments as "whore bag," "dirty slut" and "now she'll pay."

Roxanne Bailin, the Boulder district judge who sentenced Stengel last week, noted these repugnant circumstances. "This is a whole pattern of picking out 14-year-old girls and picking on them," apparently for the simple reason that the girls are younger, Bailin said. "I am so outraged I can barely speak."

The judge asked Stengel to explain the abuse. Arguing that such harassment happens every year, Stengel blamed it partly on the "culture" of Boulder High. That culture offended Bailin: "It appalls me and outrages me and frankly breaks my heart."

The whole community should feel that way. It should also face disturbing questions: What possesses kids who commit such crimes? Why would they do nothing to help a girl being viciously attacked? Why would they record the violence on tape? The answers are not as obvious as the questions.

Reach Clint Talbott at (303) 473-1367 or talbottc@thedailycamera.com.

April 16, 2002

E-mail this story to a friend | Printer-friendly version