Former stripper Crystal Mangum is admitting that her rape allegations against three Duke University lacrosse players — David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann —in 2006 are false.
Mangum is currently serving time at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women for fatally stabbing her boyfriend.
More on Crystal Mangum
She gained national attention for accusing the three team members of raping her at a party off-campus where she had been hired as a stripper. The case was infamous for how it got media coverage because of its inherent racial, gender and class dynamics, as well as the juxtaposition with Duke University.
According to CNN, Mangum was recently interviewed by Katerena DePasquale, who hosts the online show Let’s Talk with Kat.
What Crystal Mangum said on a recent podcast
“I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn’t, and that was wrong. And I betrayed the trust of a lot of other people who believed in me,” Mangum said.
“I made up a story that wasn’t true because I wanted validation from people and not from God,” she added. “I want them to know that I love them, and they didn’t deserve that, and I hope that they can forgive me.”
When the rape accusations first made national headlines, Duke Athletics chose not to respond. The university, the president and head men’s lacrosse coach Mike Pressler didn’t respond to the allegations. Additionally, Evans, Finnerty and Seligmann never commented on the situation.
Per CNN, Evans, Finnerty and Seligmann were arrested for sexual assault at a party after Mangum alleged they raped her — resulting in the cancellation of the team’s 2006 season and Coach Pressler losing his job. The district attorney who was handling the case at the time was found guilty of criminal contempt and disbarred.
Roy Cooper, the state’s Attorney General at the time who is now the governor, reviewed the case and cleared the three men of the charges in April 2007. Soon after, they reached a confidential settlement. His argued that the charges against the three athletes should never have been filed.
In 2014, the city of Durham agreed to resolve a lawsuit filed by Evans, Finnerty and Seligmann. As part of the settlement, Durham committed to paying $50,000 to the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission.
The post Who Is Crystal Mangum? She Admitted She Falsely Accused Duke Lacrosse Players Of Rape In Infamous 2006 Case appeared first on Blavity.
