#LimeReviews – When They See Us

Five teenagers of colour, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise and Raymond Santana were arrested and wrongly prosecuted for rape and brutal attack of a young white woman in Central Park, New York City in 1989. When They See Us is Netflix short drama series based on true story.

The boys were called up from a random list of possible suspects. The officers managed to record false confessions from them and no DNA evidence from the crime scene were pointed to the boys. Despite fighting for their innocence, the prosecuting attorney offered them a plea bargain. The boys did not admit the crime and this lead them to be convicted and sentenced to 6-13 years in prison. They were forced to serve time for a crime they did not commit. They were vacated in 2002 but the years and dignity cannot be returned to the boys.

The episodes followed through the trials and their lives after they after incarceration. The story is brutally tough to watch as it addresses issues of injustice and racism in America. Director and writer Ava DuVernay, painted an emotional story and captured the anger, frustration, disappointment and sadness the entire mini series. Which is necessary as it shows the flaws in the system.