Re: 4 boys in Ariz. accused of raping 8-year-old girl
- From: Velouria <ohclaire714@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:16:16 -0700 (PDT)
On Jul 24, 11:08 am, Poe <haun...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I recall reading about this a few days ago but forget if it was posted
here. Her family blames the girl for bringing shame onto them and told a
case worker to keep her, they don't want her back. They're immigrants
from Liberia. I wonder what will happen to the poor kid.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/1683279,boys-accused-raping-girl-...
4 boys in Ariz. accused of raping 8-year-old girl
July 24, 2009
FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHOENIX---- Officers responding to a report of hysterical screams found
an 8-year-old girl partially clothed and four boys, barely in their
teens, running from an empty shed.
The boys, ages 9 to 14, face charges ranging from sexual assault to
kidnapping, police said Thursday. Authorities in Phoenix say it's one of
the most horrific cases they've ever seen.
Investigators said the boys lured the girl to an empty shed on July 16
under the pretense of offering her gum. The boys then held the girl down
while they took turns raping her, police said.
"She was brutally sexually assaulted for a period of about 10 to 15
minutes," police Sgt. Andy Hill said.
The 14-year-old boy was charged Wednesday as an adult with two counts of
sexual assault and kidnapping, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office
said. He appeared in court Thursday and was being held without bond. He
does not yet have a defense lawyer.
The other boys -- ages 9, 10, and 13 -- were charged as juveniles with
sexual assault. The 10- and 13-year-old boys also were charged with
kidnapping, the office said Thursday.
"This is a deeply disturbing case that has gripped our community,"
Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas said. "Our office will seek
justice for the young victim in this heartrending situation."
The outrage over the allegations has intensified when police said the
girl's parents criticized her after the attack and blamed her for
bringing shame on the family.
"The father told the case worker and an officer in her presence that he
didn't want her back. He said 'Take her, I don't want her,"' Hill said.
Hill cited the family's background as the reason the family shunned the
girl. All five children are refugees from the West African nation of
Liberia.
In some parts of Africa, women often are blamed for being raped for
enticing men or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Girls
who are raped often are shunned by their families.
"It's a shame-based culture, so the crime is not as important as
protecting the family name and the name of the community," said Tony
Weedor, a Liberian refugee in Littleton, Colo., and co-founder of the
CenterPoint International Foundation, which helps Liberians resettle in
the United States.
"I just feel so sorry for this little girl," he said. "Some of these
people will not care about the trauma she's going through -- they're
more concerned about the shame she brought on the family."
In recent years, Liberia has made efforts to combat rape under the
leadership of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who has sought to dispel
the stigma associated with sexual assault by publicly acknowledging that
she was herself the victim of attempted rape during the country's civil war.
The girl's healing process will be particularly difficult, said Paul
Penzone of Childhelp, which aids young victims of crime. Authorities
said the victim was in the care of Child Protective Services.
"These four boys used what was a ploy to entice her to a place where
they could take advantage of her almost like a pack of wolves," he said.
"And what's so disturbing beyond the initial crime is the fact that a
child needs to have somewhere to feel safe, and you would think that
would be in a home with her own family," not in state custody, Penzone said.
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistribute
I'd be more than willing to chip in to send this bunch (save the
little girl) back to Liberia on the next flight.
-V
.
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