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
Kim and Kanye's Baby Name Predictions!
Moms Love Birthday Parties, Too!
Father Knows Best - Happy Father's Day!
Are Cheaters Entitled to Privacy? - A...
Comments 1044
unfortunately the truth is that by 9yrs old you have already learned right from wrong and this is just an indication of what this child has been taught. It seems cruel but even with help now this child well both boys are doomed. Memories and tragedies don't just go away. I pray that they get the help and love they deserve. As for the parents they ought to be tortured themselves and locked up for their remaining years. Just because they are a menace to society. Children are innocent and they only learn by example.. So the parents need to realize that every thing they do is being absorbed by their children.
i agree with stacy if they knew to blame each other they knew it was wrong. they need to be punished for what they did to that little girl. they need to be treated too.i feel that with their ages they need help but that doesn't mean they shouldn't get punished for it to give the little girl justice.
The boys should be taken away from their families; treated and punished. I fear that these two could very well be on the road to serial rapist; serial killer. Some parents look the other way and say "boys will be boys." B.S. The maltreatment of those much younger than themselves as well as animals start manifesting in children at that age though their parents do everything to deny it. It's been written of in the backgrounds of sociopaths. Not light reading mind you. Not to mention, don't know what they have seen or been exposed to or taught in their own famlies. They need intensive psychological treatment. But the fact that they initially blamed each other solely leads me to think that what they did: They new was wrong. Hope they can be turned around.