http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/23/phoenix.juvenile.assault/index.html
(CNN) -- With four Phoenix, Arizona, boys ages 9 to 14 charged with sexual assault on an 8-year-old girl, a prosecutor vowed Thursday his office will "seek justice for the young victim in this heartrending situation."
"This is a deeply disturbing case that has gripped our community," said Maricopa County attorney Andrew Thomas.
According to Phoenix police, the girl was lured to a storage shed at an apartment complex on July 16. The four boys, who had offered the girl chewing gum, allegedly restrained and sexually assaulted her. At a news conference about the case Wednesday, police did not release any information on the girl's condition, but officers called the case one of the worst they have investigated in many years.
The 14-year-old was charged as an adult and will face two counts of sexual assault and one count of kidnapping, Thomas said Thursday. The other three boys were charged in juvenile court with sexual assault, and two of them also were charged with kidnapping, Thomas said.
All the suspects except for the 14-year-old live in the same apartment complex, according to Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill.
The victim and the boys charged are all from refugee families that have come to the United States from the war-torn West African nation of Liberia, police said.
Detectives said the girl was placed in the custody of Phoenix child protective services after the attack because of her parents' attitude toward her.
"The parents felt that they had been shamed or embarrassed by their child," Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill said.
The Phoenix Police Department has a community response unit that assists with such sensitive cases. "They made some initial contacts with the refugee community. They acted as liaison and were present when the child protective services agency took the victim," Hill said.
Protective services officers "will determine what's going to happen in the days ahead and they'll look at the past history with that family, if there is one," he said.
CNN affiliate KTVK said it interviewed the girl's 23-year-old sister, who said she was baby-sitting the girl at the time of the alleged attack.
The sister, who was not identified by name by the station, expressed mixed feelings about her sister's attack. "I came to her and said it's not good for you to be following guys because you are still little," the sister told KTVK. She also said that she wanted the suspects to be released from jail because "we are the same people."
"When she comes back I'm going to tell her don't ever do that again because all of us, we are the same family, we are from the same place. Now she is just bringing confusion among us. Now the other people, they don't want to see her," the sister told KTVK.
Tony Weedor, a Liberian who fled civil war with his family and now lives in the Denver, Colorado, area, told CNN that cultural aspects are deep in the case. In Liberia rape was not against the law until 2006, he said.
"The family [believes they] have been shamed by her, not a crime, but the name of the family has been degraded and news will get back to Liberia. And they're more concerned about that than the crime," said Weedor, who is co-founder of the CenterPoint International Foundation, which aids Liberian refugees in the United States and provides aid for those still in Liberia.
Edwin Sele, the deputy ambassador of Liberia to the United States, also responded to the incident.
"Having heard the story myself, I'm outraged," he said. "In Liberia, the family and law enforcement officers would be embracing the victim. To hear that the family is not doing that, that should be an isolated case."
Resettlement groups around the country help refugees settle into life in the United States. Among them is the Refugee and Immigrants Relief Center in Phoenix, where Omar Dolleh, a refugee from Sierra Leone in West Africa, is the program director.
As a part of the refugee orientation program, he said, his group touches upon the laws in the United States, but the most immediate goal for refugees and organizations that help them is finding employment and places to live.
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I'm so mad that this poor little girl's family is blaming her for the attack instead of supporting her.
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Henrik Vibskov
I read this yesterday and want to reach through my computer and slap someone. This sick mentality of it always being "her" fault is making me insane. If these people do not adapt to our ways then we need to stop letting them into the USA. And that little girl needs to be pulled from her family and placed with one where she would be safe.
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"I will marshal all the forces of darkness to hound you to an assisted suicide." - In the Loop
words are beyond me on three counts.
what 12 - 14 year old boy would do this?!
how do a group of friends reach a decision to do something like this to someone. 'oh do you fancy sexually attacking someone today guys?'
and thirdly - the poor little girl whose families attitude and reaction is truly beyond comprehension!
2Simply shocking. The sister of the attack had mixed feeling? She wants the suspects to be released from jail because "we are the same people."? Maybe there is too much of a cultural difference in the US for Liberians to adjust to American values and laws.
3The family of the little girl should be ashamed of themselves. At 8 years old, a girl is not looking for sex. She probably was just curious about the other kids. It's not her fault. If anything, it's the parent's fault. Why is nobody looking after her? Pretty sick mentality. Use your brain. Some things should be left up to common sense, not traditions.
4This poor girl.
As if what happened wasn't horrific enough, now she doesn't have the support
of her family? I hope they have people that will go and talk to them about how to handle this, and how it was NOT her fault. I can't believe the sister wants the boys released.
5Update:
6http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8168480.stm
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"I will marshal all the forces of darkness to hound you to an assisted suicide." - In the Loop
If you truly cared about the situation then I don't think your first thought would be to get these people out of country. Cultural norms can drastically change in one generation, especially in America where we are all about assimilation. After all, in a lot of those war torn countries, rape is used as a weapon because the soldiers know the women will be ostracized from their societies. They will have no one to turn to but their attackers. Also, in a lot of these places, children are kidnapped and trained as death machines. When put in those cultural contexts, it is not too shocking, sadly, that A) this happened and B) that the parents and sister are acting this way. Yeah it is f*cked up, but that is the sort of mentality these people were living with before they came to America.
Also, I think a lot of people seem to forget that it really wasn't that long ago since we had somewhat the same ideas about rape in America. Up until maybe two and a half decades ago, there was a huge "she was asking for it mentality" that prevailed even in our court system. Was the victim wearing a short skirt? She was asking for it. Did she walk the street alone at night? She was asking for it. And date rape didn't even exist.
In America, we have the feminist movement to thank for this forward thinking. Why would they think the same way in Liberia, a country that has no strong feminist movement and that is so war torn that they can't hope for any kind of powerful social change?
7Oops I mean out of our country.
8That is a good point Jessie. Unfortunately, even today I have seen some people that still have the "she was asking for it" mentality.
How do we help immigrants assimilate better? I'm not saying that immigrants have to totally imbrace American culture by the way.
9Being that they live within their own communities "customs" do not change in a generation or two. Take a look at several communities that have been here for more then a few generations and you will see old customs still standing that do not work with American society. And since we are of late all about appeasement it won't change anytime soon. This is probably only one reported incident with in this refugee group.
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"I will marshal all the forces of darkness to hound you to an assisted suicide." - In the Loop
It probably isn't the only case of violence unfortunately, as it is with any isolated group impoverished group not just this one and this group has been heavily exposed to violence, but I do believe that behaviors that are heavily frowned upon do fade out out a lot quicker, especially in concern to personal rights. People love personal rights and freedom and when given the opportunity and support from birth they usually take it...at least away from their parents sight.
Every custom doesn't go away because some of perfectly good and enriching, even if they "clash".
11some communities are so isolated they are no different then where they come from and for the doing it behind their elder's back is what leads to honor killings and beatings. 4 young women were murdered in Quebec and who was arrested, their dad and brother. Dad had 2 wives to boot. No, when they come here they need to do what our grandparents and those before them did, adopt the laws of this country and live by them.
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"I will marshal all the forces of darkness to hound you to an assisted suicide." - In the Loop
skb9850 I think the best way to help them assimilate is to make them and their culture feel welcome. Show them that they don't have to be exactly like us or give up what it's important to them to embrace our values of democracy and equality and that we can appreciate aspects of their culture as well. More like we trying to better their society for everyone in it, like this young girl, and not try to replace it.
Sometimes people push too far, like in France with the whole headscarf nonsense. If it isn't hurting anyone let them be. Everyone get defensive and non nonsensical when attacked or demeaned, especially for things as important as religion and culture. You see it here on Sugar.
13The laws our grandparents, great grandparents and son on, came here with were not hugely enforced or very fair towards women and minorities so what exactly are you saying? The wild west was called that for a reason, moonshine was prevalent, etc...
Nowhere did I say people shouldn't obey the law. I'm talking about cultural norms. I have very traditional Asian and Hispanic family that I might behave differently with that are more akin to Japanese culture. It's not illegal.
14When America was great people that moved here assimilated to American culture and laws. Now, American culture is devalued and all other's respected. If people do not want to assimilate to our culture why move here?
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