I haven’t done one of these in a while . . . Today’s edition of Stories That Not Be False™, a series inspired by the illiteracy of a bloated crone named India, takes us to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where we learn that one should never simply “believe all women”, or, as it’s known at MikeSouth.com, “The Leigh Raven Rule”.
A Sacred Heart University student accused of false rape allegations against two football players pleaded guilty Tuesday.
19-year-old Nikki Yovino was sent to prison after deciding during jury selection to instead accept a plea deal of a year in prison.
“We were prepared to go to trial on the original felony charge, but after lengthy discussions with all parties involved and considering all outside factors, this was an appropriate disposition that will hopefully set a precedent about how serious the state takes this conduct,” Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Tatiana Messina told the judge in Yovino’s case.
Police say in 2017, Yovino claimed she had been raped by two students in a bathroom during an off-campus party on October 2016.
She later admitted that she had consensual sex with the players and told police her motive. She was charged with evidence tampering, a felony, and falsely reporting an incident, a misdemeanor. The evidence tampering charge carries as many as five years in prison.
Yovino’s lawyers, however, say police pressured her into making a false confession. Prosecutors declined to comment, citing policy involving pending cases.
Yovino withdrew from Sacred Heart, which is a Catholic university. The football players were never criminally charged, but both withdrew from the school as they faced possible disciplinary action based. One player lost a football scholarship, his lawyer said.
The football players’ names have not been released by police.
“Her actions have seriously affected them,” attorney Frank Riccio II said. “They’re no longer in school. The loss of their education and the college experience has certainly affected them greatly. And this is all because of a very serious lie.”
The players will decide whether to sue Yovino after her trial, Riccio said.
