It sounds like a sick, twisted April Fools’ rumor. And it should be the sincere hope of anyone who hears the tale of a British 24-year-old that it turns out to be just that.

Perhaps the only thing more disgusting than someone cooking up the story of the southwest London mother of five is the story actually being true.

YouTube and Google yesterday acknowledged a mistake in allowing a video of a woman allegedly being gang raped by three teenagers, to remain on the site for up to 600 users to view. According to the UK’s Guardian, the video featured the woman having intercourse with the three teens while it appeared she was unconscious. The paper stated children could be heard crying in the background, and the teenagers allegedly laughed toward the camera while the rapes were occurring.

However, what is even more gut-wrenching is the course of justice that is apparently being pursued.

The three attackers were arrested after the incident, earlier this year. They were released and will likely face no charges.

When it seems as though this tale could not get much more outrageous, the headlines today beg to differ.

The woman has now been arrested for sex with minors, as well as “perverting the course of justice” for not immediately reporting the incident.

She has posted bail, but has been asked to return to the police station later this month.

With April being Sexual Assault Awareness month, a story such as this shows the extreme importance of promoting the fact that rape is, apparently, not taken nearly as seriously as it should be.

While it is possible the police know more than the public regarding this case, it is imperative the public demand that this evidence is so completely solid to justify the arrest of an apparent victim of rape and the release of the attackers.

However, it seems as though our neighbors across the pond may not take the issue of rape and stranger rape, nearly as seriously as our society.

The case of Lindsay Armstrong, a 17-year-old rape victim, is used to illustrate the country’s attitude toward sexual assault.

Armstrong was raped by a 14-year-old in a park. While the attacker was convicted, it was not before Armstrong appeared in court, in front of her assailant and faced what was labeled as a “relentless” and “brutal” cross-examination.

Armstrong killed herself following the trial.

If the 24-year-old Jane Doe’s story is true and she was drugged and subjected to a 14-hour ordeal in which she was sexually assaulted, officials in the UK should be sickened by what they seemingly feel is justice.

It is no more than a complete perversion that not only has another rape victim been mistreated by an unfair system, but her apparent rape has been made public.