The Cupertino Courier

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Alleged victim files civil suit in De Anza rape case

By Emilie Crofton

The teenage girl who says she was gang-raped by members of De Anza College's baseball team filed a civil suit against the 10 men on March 3.

In the suit, filed one year after the incident, the unidentified girl seeks an unspecified amount of money and accuses the men of sexual assault, slander for telling others she consented to have sex with them and violating her privacy by taking pictures and video of the alleged assault.

On March 3, 2007, the girl was at a house party thrown by several members of the baseball team. April Grolle, Lauren Chief Elk and Lauren Bryeans, three soccer players from De Anza College, stormed into a room and grabbed the semiconscious girl, who they say was being sexually assaulted and raped by several men while others watched. The incident created an uproar throughout the community.

Nine months ago District Attorney Dolores Carr decided not to file charges in the case, citing not enough evidence to prove the rape allegations. After much protest, Carr asked California Attorney General Jerry Brown to review the case.