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Three Carson High School students suspected of the alleged rape of a UCLA student during a campus visit in December will be prosecuted as adults, the District Attorney’s office announced earlier this week.

This decision was made by the Deputy D.A. for the county of Los Angeles, who looked at the case presented by police and then determined the minors should be tried as adults.

“They’re being tried as adults because of the severity and nature of the crime,” said the press secretary for the L.A. County D.A.’s office, Jane Robinson.

Because they’re being tried as adults, the suspects face potential prison time. If they were tried as juveniles the maximum sentence they could receive would place them in the California Youth Authority until they reach the age of 25.

Robinson said the case must be refiled, this time trying the suspects as adults, and it will most likely be heard in either the Ingelwood or Airport courthouses.

UCLA students’ opinions vary as to whether the suspects should be tried as adults.

“In general, I don’t agree with people under the age of 18 being tried as adults. They were minors; they may not have known what they were doing. They do not deserve to be locked up with adults,” said Deedee Collins, first-year undeclared student.

Laura Perry, first-year, political science student, does not agree.

“If you commit an adult crime, there should be adult ramifications,” she said.

According to the L.A. Times and other newspapers, the suspects are former football players Jamar Dawson, 16, Chuwan Anthony and DeShawn Stringer, both 17.

Robinson would not confirm the suspects’ names.

Students at Carson High School expressed concern about whether their fellow classmates could have committed such a crime.

“It’s shocking. I can’t believe that happened, nobody can,” said Carson High senior Marissa Adams.

“I know Stringer and Chuwan real well,” said senior Shannon Sykes.

Stringer has been in and out of group homes and foster systems and does not have a criminal record, Sykes said.

Adams and Sykes both said they shouldn’t be tried as adults.

Administrators, counselors and teachers fear that the hard work they have put into turning Carson High School into an academic institution will be overshadowed by this incident.

“This is a very unfortunate situation, it’s not representative of who we are as a school,” said Principal Douglas Waybright.

Carson High School is located 25 miles south of UCLA and boasts a diverse student body.

Students are regularly taken on field trips to various colleges.

“These students are in many cases the first in their family to go to college. It’s important they visit these campuses,” said Waybright.

The procedures schools follow to visit college campuses are not clearly defined by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

On this particular trip to UCLA Carson High School had 56 students and one chaperone.

“Students just have to sign release papers and things,” said LAUSD operations administrator Hector Dubon.“It’s ultimately up to the principal.”

LAUSD officials are investigating the matter.

“We’re looking to see if (the rules) were followed,” said Dubon.

“Normally you have a chaperone for every 25 kids,” said Carson High School college counselor Holly Koletty.