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Special Prosecutor Sought in Maryville Rape Case

HeadlineOct 17, 2013

A Missouri prosecutor who dropped charges in the Maryville rape case that has ignited national outrage says he will ask a special prosecutor to re-examine the case. The victim, Daisy Coleman, says she was given alcohol and raped during a gathering of high-school athletes last year while another teen filmed the incident on his phone. The 14-year-old was then dumped on her porch in below-freezing temperatures, barely conscious. Her 13-year-old friend also says she was sexually assaulted the same night. Despite reported evidence and interviews supporting the case, prosecutors dropped charges against Daisy’s accused rapist, Matthew Barnett, a well-connected football player, and her family faced such constant harassment they say they were forced to leave town. The prosecutor’s announcement came a day after Missouri’s lieutenant governor called for a grand jury to review the case.

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