Teens Charged in Sex Assault After Girl's Suicide

A 15-year-old California girl committed suicide in September, just days after she was allegedly sexually assaulted. Now, three 16-year-old boys have been arrested in the case, NBC Bay Area reports. Photos of the alleged attack were posted on the Internet; before her suicide, Audrie Pott wrote on Facebook that "the whole school knows…. My life is ruined." The boys are being held in juvenile detention ahead of a hearing next week; they haven't yet been charged.

A lawyer for the family described the attack: "Based on what we know, she was unconscious; there were multiple boys in the room with her ... They did unimaginable things to her while she was unconscious." The family decided to release Pott's name in hopes that the story would help prevent such incidents in the future. The parents hope the boys are tried as adults. "What these boys did is beyond unconscionable," says the lawyer. "They should be held to the highest standard of the law to make sure this never ever happens again." The news comes amid reports of a similar story in Canada. (More teenager stories.)