Reporter admits rape story errors

The author of a now-retracted Rolling Stone article about a brutal gang rape at the University of Virginia acknowledged that she made mistakes while reporting the story of the woman identified only as “Jackie.”

Sabrina Rubin Erdely took the stand in the defamation trial against the magazine over its 2014 story.

University administrator Nicole Eramo is seeking $7.8 million from the magazine for its portrayal of her in the story.

Libby Locke, an attorney for Eramo, quizzed Erdely about her reporting errors, including her decision not to contact Jackie’s friends who went to her aid the night of the alleged assault and her failure to raise concerns about changes in Jackie’s account over time.

Erdely said that Jackie’s changing story didn’t bother her because “it takes trauma victims time to come forward with all the details.”