One week after Dharun Ravi was convicted on counts of invasion of privacy, bias intimidation and witness tampering, the family of his former Rutgers roommate released a statement praising the verdict.
Ravi was found guilty on most of the counts he faced after he used a webcam to view his roommate Tyler Clementi, catching him in an intimate encounter with another man. Days after finding out about the webcam, Clementi committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge.
Clementi’s parents said they were pleased with the verdict and appreciated the work of the prosecutor’s office and the jurors. They also don’t want their son’s death to be in vain and brought attention to the Tyler Clementi Foundation they founded in his memory.
The verdict was reached March 16 and Ravi’s sentencing is scheduled for May 21. Experts have said he will face between five to 10 years in prison and the possibility of deportation to India.
Below is the full statement from Clementi family:
“Our family believes that the jury reached the correct verdict,” said Joseph Clementi, father of the late Tyler Clementi. “They reached their decision based on the facts shown by the evidence. At the conclusion of the trial, the defense’s explanation of what happened was simply not believable.”
The trial and subsequent jury verdict answered questions for the family and confirmed their faith in the justice system. “I have said all along that we were looking for justice and accountability. I trusted the Courts and the State of New Jersey to get this right…and they did,” said Clementi. “We appreciate the diligent work done by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and their unwavering concern for the rights and privacy of the victims. We also appreciate the jury’s efforts to carefully weigh all the evidence presented in court. This was a difficult decision on many levels but they followed the law and reached the correct verdict.”
The Clementi family feels there are many lessons to be learned from this tragedy. “We have become all too aware of the consequences suffered by people who are singled out for being different,” said Jane Clementi, Tyler’s mother. “We have learned that LGBT teens, especially, suffer pain, embarrassment and ridicule which is made worse by improper use of electronic media. In this digital world, we need to teach our youngsters that their actions have consequences, that their words have real power to hurt or to help. They must be encouraged to choose to build people up and not tear them down. This is part of the mission of the Tyler Clementi Foundation.”
Earlier this year the family launched the foundation to honor Tyler’s memory and promote responsible use of electronic media. For more information visit www.thetylerclementifoundation.org.