PHOENIX (AP) — 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 story can be found here - http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...t_N.htm?csp=34

This brought tears to my eyes! My daughter is 8 and is still such a baby, so nieve and innoscent. How horrible! Wow. I am super overprotective to the point where she is not even allowed on her swingset without me outside watching her, even if I can see her out my window, my mom constantly says that I am too overbearing but look what happens when a parent puts their guard down. Its not their fault (the parents), I cant even fathem boys that age wanting to do such a thing, and Im sure in the neighborhood they live in, her parents felt the same. God, what a shame.

I realize terrible things happen in the world, but why post this here? I'm bombarded daily with my own, local news, which causes me to worry enough about the dangers that my children will face.

There are other places on the 'net where I can go to get this kind of terror story--if I want too. Don't need it here on my diet forum.

I posted it in General Chatter. The title is clear to what the post is about so you can choose not to read it.

You have the option of opening the thread or not. You chose to open it and read it.

Thank you so very much, Eumie.

No NEED to jump me. I also have the right to express my opinion.

I can tell you from the bottom of my heart if this happened to my little girls I would personally KILL the boys. Yep, you read it right. I may get the death sentence for it, but they would get theirs first.

There are lots of things posted in general chatter that have nothing at all to do with weightloss--that's why it's "general chatter."

I understand about the bombardment of negative stories but if they weren't newsworthy or interesting to people, they wouldn't be "out there" anyway.

If you read the article, you'll see that all of the children involved are Liberian refugees. We find this story SHOCKING - and it is. The awful truth is there are hundreds if not thousands of rapes and gang rapes happening in Africa everyday. And it's spreading.

Thanks for posting this chunkychic, it's reminded me that I need to do more in this world.

From the article:

The outrage over the allegations 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. 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

This makes it all the more tragic.

I agree.

I don't even have children and this story broke my heart and brought tears to my eyes.

You are very welcome

I also think this was helpful in the fact that it brings cultural differences to light. Differences that may not ever occur to most Americans. (Just as there are some cultures that think stealing is completely acceptable and something you just do when given the opportunity)

This is unbelievable! As I was reading this I immediately thought about my daughter who is 8yrs old and how innocent she is.

I cannot believe her family, I mean I understand that in their culture they look at this as disgraceful to their family but they are not in Africa anymore and can't they see how people reacted differently here. I think the family should have to go for counseling to deal with this.

I hurt for this little girl, this is so sad, she not only lost her innocense but she also lost her family, how sad.

Thank you for sharing this, I would not have seen it had it not been posted here.

Sarah