© APUndated photo provided by Audrie Pott's family. The teenager from Saratoga, Calif., hanged herself in September after allegedly being sexually assaulted while drunk and unconscious at a party. Photos were later posted online. Three teenage boys were arrested Thursday and charged with sexual asaault in the case.
The names of the suspects were not released because they are minors, but Robert Allard, attorney for Audrie's parents, says they hope the teens won't be treated as juveniles at trial, the
San Jose Mercury News reported.
"The family has been trying to understand why their loving daughter would have taken her life at such a young age and to make sure that those responsible would be held accountable," Allard says.
"After an extensive investigation that we have conducted on behalf of the family, there is no doubt in our minds that the victim, then only 15 years old, was savagely assaulted by her fellow high school students while she lay on a bed completely unconscious."
The attorney said students used cell phones to share photos of the attack, and that the images went viral.
He alleges that at least three high school boys assaulted Audrie in the bedroom at the home of a friend whose parents were away for the weekend, patch.com
reported.
USA Today and the Associated Press do not, as a rule, identify victims of sexual assault. But in this case, Pott's family wanted her name and case known, Allard says. The family also provided a photo to the AP.