Serena Williams Criticized for Saying 16-year-old Rape Victim was ‘Lucky’

Tennis superstar Serena Williams criticized the drunk Steubenville, Ohio teenager whose sensational rape trial dominated national headlines earlier this year. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, the world’s number 1 women’s tennis player criticized the 16-year-old rape victim for putting herself in the position to be raped by getting drunk. The accused boys, Trent Mays, 17, and Ma’lik Richmond, 16, were found guilty of raping the drunken girl. Both boys could be in detention until they’re 21. Williams also criticized a culture where parents neglect to supervise their children and turn a blind eye to underage drinking.

From Business Insider:“Do you think it was fair, what they got? They did something stupid, but I don’t know. I’m not blaming the girl, but if you’re a 16-year-old and you’re drunk like that, your parents should teach you—don’t take drinks from other people. She’s 16, why was she that drunk where she doesn’t remember? It could have been much worse. She’s lucky. Obviously I don’t know, maybe she wasn’t a virgin, but she shouldn’t have put herself in that position, unless they slipped her something, then that’s different.”

The rape case made headlines when teenagers disseminated photos and video of the girl — passed out and in compromising positions — on social media websites.