WHEATFIELD, N.Y. — A former Niagara-Wheatfield student who admitted to raping a fellow student has been placed on one year of interim probation with dozens of restrictions.
2 On Your Side is choosing not to show or identify the defendant because he could still be given youth offender status after probation.
He's expected to receive his full sentence when he returns to court next August.
The victim's mother spoke after court on Wednesday, saying she doesn't believe the suspect should be granted youthful offender status because he knows what he did and has put her daughter's life on hold.
"The healing process just started at the end of the school year. Just started, so she's got a long way to go," she said. "She's in counseling, and so I'm hoping that eventually, she'll get there. But he took a lot away from her and with absolutely no remorse. He has no remorse for what he has done."
The victim's mother says the Niagara Wheatfield School District allowed the student to attend school with her daughter after charges were filed, and even for a few days after he pleaded guilty to third-degree rape in May.
Eventually, the student was taken out of school but the victim's mother says all those months her daughter was tormented.
She claims the rapist lied and bragged about what happened.
The case caused protests at school and led to principal Michael Mann being placed on administrative leave.
Now the victim's mother is calling for action to keep other survivors of sexual assault from having to face their abusers at school.
She told 2 On Your Side, "Niagara Wheatfield must come up with a policy so that this never happens again."