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Liberians Fear Backlash After Rape : Victims Shunned By Families
3 August 2009
Phoenix - Leaders of Arizona's Liberian community told their compatriots on Sunday they're working to dispel any stereotypes about the West African nation that may arise after the alleged rape of an eight-year-old girl by four boys. Robert Sherman, president of the Liberian Association of Arizona, told the congregation in west Phoenix that news reports of the attack have included inaccurate descriptions that rape and those who commit it are accepted in Liberia. He says such reports are leading to negative views of Liberians, and he worries it will lead to backlash against the community. Police say four boys lured the girl to an empty storage shed July 16, promising her chewing gum. Investigators say the boys took turns sexually assaulting her. All the children are Liberian refugees. Rape victim, 8, shunned by family Authorities said that four Liberian boys aged between nine and 14 took turns raping an eight-year-old Liberian girl behind a shed for more than 10 minutes after luring the young victim with chewing gum in what Phoenix police are calling one of the most horrific cases they've ever seen in the United States. The outrage over the allegations intensified after police said the girl's parents criticised 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'," police Sergeant Andy 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 who are raped are often blamed for enticing men or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. "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, Colorado, and co-founder of the CentrePoint International Foundation, which helps Liberians resettle in the US. "I feel so sorry for this girl." 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 14-year-old boy was charged on Wednesday as an adult with two counts of sexual assault and kidnapping, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office said. He appeared in court yesterday and is being held without bail; he does not yet have a defence lawyer. The other boys - ages nine, 10, and 13 - were charged as juveniles with sexual assault. The 10- and 13-year-old boys were also charged with kidnapping, the office said. Phoenix investigators said the boys lured the girl to an empty shed on July 16 under the pretence of offering her chewing gum. The boys held her down while they took turns assaulting her, police said. "She was brutally sexually assaulted for a period of about 10 to 15 minutes," Hill said. Officers responding to an emergency call reporting hysterical screams found the girl partially clothed and the boys running from the scene. "This is a deeply disturbing case that has gripped our community," Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas said on Thursday. "Our office will seek justice for the young victim in this heartrending situation." The girl's healing process will be particularly difficult, said Paul Penzone of Childhelp, which helps 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.
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