Alleged 'Senior Salute' prep school rapist to testify in his own defense

By Dale Vincent
New Hampshire UniLeader
August 18, 2015

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150818/NEWS03/150819288

Owen Labrie, 19, is accused of raping a 15-year-old fellow student at St. Paul's School on May 30, 2014, in a tradition called 'Senior Salute.'

CONCORD - Owen Labrie, accused of raping a 15-year-old fellow student at St. Paul's School on May 30, 2014, in a tradition called "Senior Salute," will testify in his Merrimack County Superior Court trial.

Labrie, 19, of Tunbridge, Vt., was a graduating senior and a Prefect, a student leader, when he's accused of inviting the girl to meet him for the Senior Salute, which allegedly occurred in a room in one of the campus buildings that was off limits to students.

In her opening statement, Assistant Merrimack County Attorney Catherine Ruffle told jurors Tuesday that the victim, who is not being named by the newspaper, will testify she was not a willing participant in the sexual activity.

Ruffle said people had different ideas of just what the Senior Salute entailed, with some thinking it was as simple as kissing. Others thought of it as taking the virginity of an underclassman.

She said the seniors had "competitions" to see who could reach the highest number and Labrie, an athlete and popular young man was part of that competition.

But Labrie's attorney, Boston lawyer Jay Carney, said not only was the girl a willing participant,  there also was no sexual penetration.

In his opening statement, Carney showed the jurors – 11 men and three women – copies of messages using the school server and Facebook exchanges between Labrie and the girl before and after the "Senior Salute."

Carney said they showed the girl was a willing participant and did not indicate any discomfort or emotional stress afterward.

He said she only expressed concerned about whether Labrie had worn a condom and about the loss of an earring, her favorite, which he said he would search for the next day.

Following a lunch break, jurors were to tour the areas involved at the prep school, before beginning to hear testimony.

Labrie, who attended St. Paul's on a full scholarship, had been admitted to Harvard and planned to later attend divinity school.

The incident occurred at the start of graduation weekend 2014.