Muncie teen charged with in-school rape

MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) - Muncie Police have arrested a 16-year-old boy for an alleged rape at Muncie Central High School and say school officials are not cooperating with their investigation.

Police launched an investigation into allegations that the victim was raped in a bathroom on Nov. 9 and have launched a second investigation into why the school “failed to contact the Muncie Police.”

Investigators say school waited for 4 hours and 15 minutes before calling CPS and never called Muncie Police to report the crime. Instead, police say, the school interviewed the suspect and allowed him to leave school.

The report says the victim pleaded, “No,” but said her 16-year-old assailant was “‘too big” to fight off.

The probable cause affidavit obtained by 24-Hour News 8 on Tuesday night detailed the gruesome incident, in which the alleged victim says she was bleeding afterward.

The court document also said the alleged assailant gave conflicting stories throughout the investigation, at some points denying and at other points admitting to raping the girl. In his final interview with police, the boy said he, “knew he crossed the line,” the document said. He also told police the girl told him he was causing her pain.

Muncie Community Schools Superintendent Eric King says the rape allegation was "vague" and administrators wanted to investigate on their own before filing a police report.

Muncie Police disagree saying the written statements the school asked the victim and her friend to write were anything but vague.

Muncie Police Department Detective George Hopper says he believes the school may have broken the state’s mandatory reporting standards.

“I can’t fathom it,” said Hopper. “I can’t even begin to imagine what was going on there.

Hopper made that statement regarding the school’s choice to send the accused home the day of the incident. Police say critical evidence was lost.

Investigators say the principal and two assistant principals agreed to come into the police department for questioning on Friday. Police say the trio never showed up, but an attorney instead called saying they would be glad to answer questions on Monday or Tuesday.

“As of today we have still not heard back from any of the Muncie Central School Officials that we asked to speak with,” said Sgt. Michael Engle.