CNN's coverage of the Steubenville, Ohio, rape verdict involving a pair of high-school football players is being criticized for its focus on the rapists rather than the 16-year-old victim.

"I've never experienced anything like it," CNN correspondent Poppy Harlow said live outside the juvenile court in Steubenville. "It was incredibly emotional—incredibly difficult even for an outsider like me to watch what happened as these two young men that had such promising futures, star football players, very good students, literally watched as they believe their life fell apart."

Harlow continued:


One of the young men, Ma'lik Richmond, when that sentence came down, he collapsed. He collapsed in the arms of his attorney, Walter Madison. He said to me, "My life is over. No one is going to want me now." Very serious crime here. Both found guilty of raping this 16-year-old girl at a series of parties back in August, alcohol-fueled parties. Alcohol is a huge part in this.

[Related: The reaction to the #Steubenville verdict on Twitter]

Both Richmond and Trent Mays, the other defendant, stood up and apologized to the victim and her family. Harlow described the scene to Candy Crowley.

"I was sitting about three feet from Ma'lik when he gave that statement. It was very difficult to watch," Harlow said. "This was an incredibly emotional day. These two juveniles being carried out and they will be committed today, Candy."Read more: http://www.schnittshow.com/go/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=104668&article=11078135#ixzz2NxZBWMAq

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