Richmond High Gang-Rape: Alleged Teenage Victim Settles Civil Suit with School District for $4 Million

RICHMOND, Calif. (CBS/AP) A teenage girl who was allegedly punched, kicked, sexually assaulted, and urinated on outside a Northern California high school homecoming dance will receive $4 million to settle a civil claim in the case, school officials said Sunday.

The victim, who was 16-years-old at the time of the alleged gang-rape, will receive $2.5 million immediately and the rest in structured amounts over 40 years.

The West Contra Costa Unified School District, which has not admitted to any wrongdoing, will pay only $100,000 while the rest will be covered by insurance through a joint powers authority, reports The San Francisco Chronicle.

"Our client, a remarkable young lady, struggles to put this behind her," the girl's attorney, Richard Schoenberger, said Saturday. "She and her parents pray that the district will do everything it can to prevent another such tragedy by paying greater attention to security during school events. As importantly, they hope that her horrific experience will serve as a reminder for others to come to the aid of people being victimized by violence."

Authorities say six men, ranging in age from 15-21, have pleaded not guilty to felony charges in connection with the sexual assault of the teenage victim which occurred in a dimly lit courtyard outside Richmond High School on Oct. 24, 2009.

Defense attorneys have argued that the girl, whose blood-alcohol level was found to be more than four times the state's legal driving limit, wasn't forcibly raped but set upon by opportunistic men, says The San Francisco Chronicle.

If convicted, five of the defendants could face life sentences.

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE RICHMOND HIGH RAPE CASE ON CRIMESIDER