I trust that the justice system will see that the perpetrators face justice and get the punishment they deserve.Based on the latest, it seems that they have - by way of the dismissal (with prejudice, I hope) of all the charges. What turned the tide? Apparently, the existence of video.
Both the Nassau County DA and Hofstra have acted swiftly on this. There's a criminal investigation against her, and the University suspended her today. Both of these are appropriate actions. Even if Kathleen Rice's office decides her actions don't rise to the level of criminality, she seems to have flagrantly violated Hofstra's code of community standards. Whatever her reasons for her actions, the outcomes cannot be ignored. Severe and potentially lasting damage to the reputations of four young men, fear unnecessarily inflicted on thousands of students and their families, and unwelcome negative media attention on campus. Personally, I believe what she did warrants expulsion. Whether or not this comes to pass, due process must be maintained throughout. Only a full and thorough investigation will reveal what actually happened. Nassau County prosecutors are to be commended for this, by clearing the men so quickly. Hofstra should accord the same respect and diligence to all those involved.
The ugliest part about the crying of wolf in this case is how it trivializes actual rape and its victims. Every time something like this happens, it plants seeds of doubt in people's minds. Every person who experiences a sex crime suffers from that. And in fact, we all are impacted - think of all the time and money the police and prosecutors spent on this. In the end, all of us are less safe thanks to things like this, and none of us should stand for it.