What The N.H. Trial Of A Teen Accused Of Rape Says About Teens, Sex And Consent

Under cross examination in a Concord, New Hampshire, courtroom, a 16-year-old girl sobbed as she said, "I was raped. I was violated in so many ways." The girl has accused former fellow student, 19-year-old Owen Labrie, of sexually assaulting her while at the elite St. Paul's prep school.

The alleged attack took place just days from graduation last year, as part of a campus ritual called "senior salute," where senior boys seek out sexual encounters with younger students. Prosecutors are focusing on what they call a disturbing "culture" at the school, while defense attorneys say the encounter was consensual. They're highlighting seemingly flirtatious emails sent between Labrie and the girl before and after the incident.

And, above all, the case forces all of us to take an honest, unflinching look at teens and sexual assault.

Nancy Gertner, Harvard Law School professor and former Massachusetts federal judge.

Abigail Jones, senior writer at Newsweek and co-author of "Restless Virgins: Love, Sex, and Survival in Prep School." She tweets @AbigailDJ.

Sarah Miller, doctoral candidate in sociology at UMass Amherst and former director of education and training at Rape Victim Advocates.

The New York Times: Accuser In St. Paul’s Rape Case Defends Account In Cross-Examination