I lived in neighboring Montclair shortly after the time that the gang rape occurred. The gang rape was headline news and it was a very ugly story. I recall attending a community meeting run by feminists regarding women's safety. Several mothers from Glen Ridge attended and got up to speak to defend their town and to defend their "boys."
It was shocking to me that anyone would publicly defend the attackers. Afterwards I was told that the women showed up at many community meetings in the local area for that purpose.
At the core, my take is that the supporters could not accept that their "boys" could do such a terrible thing, so it must be the fault of the victim.
To me, this is a textbook story of the ugly consequences of class and male privilege and the strong preying on the weak.
NoNonsenseLiza