Latest Media Fake News Hate Crime Falls Apart

Some fake hate crimes are purely the fault of the perpetrator. But in this case, we're talking about little kids. 

The parents appear to have acted responsibly. It was the black nationalist activists and the media who took the story and ran with it, despite its obvious implausibility, who ought to be ashamed. 

If only they had enough shame to fill a tiny thimble.

A story about a white man urinating on a 5-year-old black child and calling her a racial slur was fabricated, police said.

Grand Rapids police and prosecutors late Friday, Aug. 24 said they determined the story was not valid and said no charges would be issued against a 60-year-old man arrested following the initial report on Wednesday.

Police said several children, all 7 or younger, were playing together sometime before 6 p.m. Wednesday when one of the children urinated on the 5-year-old girl.

Kent County prosecutors said the parents of the children, in talking with them, ultimately determined the children "concocted the story to avoid trouble."

But it could have been really bad. Because an innocent person was arrested.

Prosecutors said the 60--year-old man had a "verifiable alibi" from other people who vouched for his whereabouts.

The NAACP behaved in its usual responsible fashion.

The allegations, when first reported late Wednesday, caused concern across the community and NAACP leaders on Friday said the incident should be considered both a hate crime and sex assault.

And the system failed badly.

Becker said the children involved with making the complaint were first interviewed by trained specialists with the Children's Advocacy Center, but they didn't admit the truth until later when their parents talked with them further.

Those "trained specialists" do good work.

So we have another black fragility hate crime fall apart. And no lessons will be learned from it.