Cheryl Araujo

Cheryl Ann Araujo (March 28, 1961 – December 14, 1986) was an American woman from New Bedford, Massachusetts, who was gang-raped in 1983 at age 21 by four men in a tavern in the city. Her case became national news and drew widespread attention to media coverage of rape trials. During the prosecution of the case, the defendants' attorneys cross-examined Araujo to such an extent about her own life and activities that the case became widely seen as a template for "blaming the victim" in rape cases. Her case was widely known as "Big Dan's rape,” after the name of the bar in which the attack occurred. Ostracized in New Bedford, Araujo moved with her family to Miami to make a new life. Shortly after, on December 14, 1986, she died in a car crash near her home. Her case prompted national debate over broadcasting of the trial, during which her name was released. Some states have passed legislation to protect the names of rape victims. Court cases have attempted to settle issues of newsworthiness, freedom of the press, state interest, and personal privacy. Her case is the basis of the film The Accused (1988) starring Jodie Foster.