Two former Vanderbilt football players found guilty by Tennessee jury

Two former Vanderbilt University football players now face decades in prison after a jury convicted the pair in the 2013 rape of a student inside a dorm room

Two former Vanderbilt University football players were found guilty on Tuesday in the rape of an unconscious female student.

A jury in Nashville returned a verdict after less than four hours of deliberations. Prosecutors said the woman was raped on June 23, 2013, and that the assault was proved by what the young men recorded on a cellphone.

The case comes at a time of heightened national discussion about the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses.

Relatives of Brandon Vandenburg and Cory Batey broke into tears as the two were led away after the verdict. They will be sentenced on March 6.

Also charged with the rape are former Vanderbilt football players Brandon Banks and Jaborian McKenzie, who are awaiting trial. All four were kicked off the football team and banned from campus after the charges were filed.

A fifth Vanderbilt football player, Chris Boyd, faced up to two years in prison on a felony charge of helping to cover up the crime, but was placed on probation for a year in exchange for his testimony against his former teammates.


 

By AFP 19 hrs ago
Football
Bayern's Neuer laments 'brutal, bitter' Champions League howler
By AFP 20 hrs ago
Football
Absolute disaster': Bayern boss Tuchel slams late offside call
By AFP 1 day ago
Football
Comeback kings Real Madrid stun Bayern to reach Champions League final
Rugby
Rugby Africa Women's Cup: Poor Kenya Lionesses fail to hunt against South Africa Springboks