Authorities this week alleged that Pott 15 was assaulted last fall by the three boys one of whom snapped a picture of the alleged attack.
The photo quickly circulated among Pott s classmates. The teen wrote on her Facebook page that it was the worst day ever according to her family s attorney Robert Allard. The whole school knows she wrote. My life is like ruined now.
A week after the alleged attack Pott hanged herself authorites told Northern California media organizations.
The suspects' three attorneys Eric S. Geffon Alan M. Lagod and Benjamin W. Williams said in their statement thar there has been much inaccurate reporting in the case.
Much of what has been reported over the last several days is inaccurate. Most disturbing is the attempt to link Audrie's suicide to the specific actions of these three boys the statement reads.
None of the boys had ever been in trouble with the law before the statement said closing Due to the juvenile nature of the proceedings we believe it inappropriate to comment further at this time.
The boys were arrested Thursday after an investigation that lasted several months.
Allard said the news brought out new emotions from Pott s family but they were happy the arrests had been made.
They ve lost their baby girl Allard said. But they are relieved to know that after several months of these boys living their lives as though nothing had happened finally justice is being served.
Allard the attorney for the Pott family said his clients are pushing for Audrie s Law which would stiffen penalties for cyberbullying and strengthen laws on sexual assault by trying adolescents as adults.
Her parents really want something positive to come from something like this he said.
The family hopes the suspects who are expected to appear in court next week will be treated as adults as they move through the legal system Allard said. They also believe the boys tried to conceal or destroy evidence basically by pressing the delete button he said.
They were certainly aware enough and mature enough to carry out something as elaborate as this and they should be punished accordingly the attorney said.
Allard acknowledged that Pott and her friends had been drinking the night she was allegedly attacked. The parents of the teen whose home they were partying in were out of town for the weekend he said and the group got into a liquor cabinet. They mixed alcohol with Gatorade he said and word spread there was a party.
Pott had gone upstairs early to go to sleep Allard said. When she woke up the next day she recognized immediately that something terrible had happened.
Her parents knew nothing about this he said until after her death. Allard said that based on conversations with her friends Pott had indicated that she didn t think that she could take it after the photo circulated.
One of her friends even asked that she not do anything stupid Allard said.
Obviously she was tormented he said. They had spread the word as to what happened circulated at least one photograph of what happened during the assault and she was tortured by cyberbullying.
The incident is one of several incidents involving alleged assaults and cyberbulling that has attracted headlines in recent months. Last month two Ohio high school football stars were convicted of raping a 16 year old girl. A photo was circulated showing the girl naked and unconscious.
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