Defendant's Attorney Blames Victim in NYU Arson Case

Let's see if this defense works.

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The attorney for the former NYU student accused of setting a classmate on fire is attempting to blame the victim in her attempt to defend her client. 

The New York Daily News reports that Jaime Castano's lawyer, Alyssa Gamliel, helped cause her injuries by being blackout drunk the night before the incident: 


I do not think she knows what happened or her participation in this, nor do I think the People will be able to prove that she was not sort of participating in some of this activity.

In addition, Gamliel noted that 19-year-old's burns only became infected because, in her state of drunkenness, neglected to take proper care of them. 

Back in August, the 20-year-old Castano allegedly set fire to the bed where the young woman had passed out, then posted a video that he recorded of the scene (complete with his singing) to Snapchat. The woman awoke the next morning to find burns on the bed, comforter, and her body. She didn't learn about how she sustained the injuries until she later saw Castano's video. 

Although Castano was expelled from NYU in September, the school didn't inform authorities about the incident until the end of October. What's more, Castano wasn't arrested until last Monday. He was charged with first-degree assault, which could carry a maximum of 25 years in prison if convicted. He also faces a reckless endangerment charge. 

[via New York Daily News]

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