A toddler was raped, but as horrific as the thought is, those who raped her shouldn't be punished. You see, her attackers were just boys -- 7- and 9-year-old boys who shouldn't even know what rape is. Someone is to blame, but it's not them.
It happened in Memphis this past summer. The 2-year-old victim's brother, 5, saw it occurring and told his mom. Thank goodness he did. While the boys first blamed each other, they later admitted to the crime.
The boys are due in court today where prosecutors are recommending they be removed from their families' homes and placed in state custody for treatment, not punishment. They want to determine what these boys have been exposed to that would make them do this to another child. James Sanders, the attorney defending the 9-year-old boy, told the Memphis Commercial Appeal:
What happened to this victim is horrible, nobody is minimizing that. But my client has a lot of problems and needs some immediate help. Somebody's got to rescue this kid.
Someone has to rescue them all.
This is one of those stories that I recount through tears, because it's so awful and so unimaginable that such vile, evil things can happen to innocent children. And really, at this point, all three should still be innocent. Something has to be very, very wrong in one's life for a mind that young to be infected like this.
But as much as I don't want to blame these boys because of their age, where do we draw a line? Is there really an age at which one suddenly should be able to account for his tragic background, overcome what he's been exposed to, and now be able to stand up and do the right thing? Yes, we have to expect that, but we also have to expect that some won't be able to. It doesn't in any way make what the victim suffered any less horrifying or their actions justifiable in the least, it just make the whole situation more tragic.
Do you think these boys should be punished?
Image via davedehetre/Flickr
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Comments 1044
I think these boys parents should be punished! Where did these boys learn this from? I dont know the age in which there should be a line... I also agree that the boys need help, fast!
wow! they knew what they were doing they should be punished!
I think a punishment and treatment is needed for these boys. Although they may be too young to realize that this is wrong, it can't feel right to them either. Obviously they knew it was wrong since they blamed eachother at first. I am deciding if it's time to tell my child about the birds and the bees even at her young age of 5 years old. Obviously I won't tell her all the details but just a general knowledge since I am so scared of turning my back for a minute and someone at school, church or even in our own backyard may be abusing her. My heart goes out to the parent of the toddler. How must she be feeling right now? Does she want hard criminal punishment for these boys or does she just feel sorry for them? It's definitly some mixed emtions here. Whatever does happen I just pray that other families will learn from this. What if her brother didn't tell on the boys? What if seeing this her brother thought it was okay to do this to his sister and started to do this as well? There could be many more worse ways this could have went down. I would give that brother the "World's Best Brother" award if there was one. He deserves it.
This is just too awful! I agree with the above comment that if the boys were trying to blame each other, then they knew it was wrong...there should be some sort of punishment, but these boys definitely need help!