Editing Tawana Brawley
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{{Villain Infobox | {{Villain Infobox | ||
| | |Image=Tawana Brawley.png | ||
|size = 200 | |size = 200 | ||
|fullname = Tawana Vicenia Bracelet | |fullname = Tawana Vicenia Bracelet | ||
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|occupation = Nurse | |occupation = Nurse | ||
|goals = Convince a court she had been raped by Steven Pagones (failed) | |goals = Convince a court she had been raped by Steven Pagones (failed) | ||
|crimes = [[Defamation]]<br>Contempt of court | |crimes = [[Defamation]]<br> | ||
|type of villain = False | Contempt of court | ||
|type of villain = False accuser | |||
}} | }} | ||
'''Tawana Vicenia Brawley''' (December 15<sup>th</sup>, 1971) is an African-American woman who [[False rape allegations|falsely claimed]] that she had been | '''Tawana Vicenia Brawley''' (December 15<sup>th</sup>, 1971) is an African-American woman who [[False rape allegations|falsely claimed]] that she had been gang-raped by a group of white men in what is now considered to be a [[Racial Hoax]]. | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
On November 28<sup>th</sup>, 1987, Brawley was found unresponsive in a garbage bag with her clothing charred, her body covered in faeces and with the words "bitch", "nigger" and "[[Ku Klux Klan|KKK]]" written on her torso in charcoal. During interrogation, she indicated that she had been abducted and held captive for several days in the woods by four white men, who she claimed had sexually abused her. | On November 28<sup>th</sup>, 1987, Brawley was found unresponsive in a garbage bag with her clothing charred, her body covered in faeces and with the words "bitch", "nigger" and "[[Ku Klux Klan|KKK]]" written on her torso in charcoal. During interrogation, she indicated that she had been abducted and held captive for several days in the woods by four white men, who she claimed had sexually abused her. | ||
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Although public response to her story was at first sympathetic, with celebrities such as [[Bill Cosby]], who would ironically later be revealed as a sex offender, offering vast sums of money towards Brawley, the case quickly became controversial after her representatives Al Sharpton, [[Alton H. Maddox]] and [[C. Vernon Mason]] began making statements widely regarded as ludicrous and intended to spark media coverage, such as claiming that the state government was trying to cover up the crime because the attackers were white and that the KKK, the [[Irish Republican Army|IRA]] and the [[Mafia]] had aided in the cover-up. Brawley and her representatives later claimed that [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/158750816/harry-crist police officer Harry Crist Jr.], who had committed suicide shortly after Brawley was found, had been one of the rapists, before accusing Assistant District Attorney Steven Pagones of being involved when he attempted to defend the late Crist. | Although public response to her story was at first sympathetic, with celebrities such as [[Bill Cosby]], who would ironically later be revealed as a sex offender, offering vast sums of money towards Brawley, the case quickly became controversial after her representatives Al Sharpton, [[Alton H. Maddox]] and [[C. Vernon Mason]] began making statements widely regarded as ludicrous and intended to spark media coverage, such as claiming that the state government was trying to cover up the crime because the attackers were white and that the KKK, the [[Irish Republican Army|IRA]] and the [[Mafia]] had aided in the cover-up. Brawley and her representatives later claimed that [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/158750816/harry-crist police officer Harry Crist Jr.], who had committed suicide shortly after Brawley was found, had been one of the rapists, before accusing Assistant District Attorney Steven Pagones of being involved when he attempted to defend the late Crist. | ||
At the height of the controversy, a grand jury was called to hear Brawley's case against Pagones. Brawley did not testify despite being subpoenaed to do so. After hearing from 180 witnesses, seeing 250 exhibits and recording more than 6000 pages of testimony, on 6 October 1988 the grand jury ruled that Brawley's claims | At the height of the controversy, a grand jury was called to hear Brawley's case against Pagones. Brawley did not testify despite being subpoenaed to do so. After hearing from 180 witnesses, seeing 250 exhibits and recording more than 6000 pages of testimony, on 6 October 1988 the grand jury ruled that Brawley's claims had no foundation in fact. Evidence for this included: | ||
*A rape kit used on her after her initial claim did not indicate that she had been sexually assaulted. | *A rape kit used on her after her initial claim did not indicate that she had been sexually assaulted. | ||
*The epithets recorded on her body were written upside down, leading the grand jury to suspect she had written them. | *The epithets recorded on her body were written upside down, leading the grand jury to suspect she had written them. | ||