A 5-year-old girl was the victim of a brutal attack in Cleveland, Ohio, allegedly carried out by two older children. The New York Times reported that the assailants, aged 9 and 10, face serious charges, including attempted murder, four counts of rape, two counts of felonious assault, strangulation, and kidnapping, following the incident that took place last month in a wooded area.
Antavia Kennibrew, the victim’s mother, shared with WOIO her distress after dropping her daughter off at a family member’s house on September 13, believing she would be safe. Tragically, the little girl exited the home and was viciously attacked by a group of children outside.
Upon hearing the news, Kennibrew rushed to the scene to find Emergency Medical Services attending to her daughter, who was unresponsive. “What I saw was unbelievable,” she told Cleveland 19. “My daughter was not my daughter. Her hair was scalped from her head. She had bruises and blood all over her body.”
She continued, “Her eyes were filled with blood. Her lips and mouth were filled with blood. Her nails had debris and dirt stuck in them.”
Kennibrew expressed her anguish over her daughter’s ongoing struggle with “behavioral problems” as a result of the attack. “She is mentally not OK,” she lamented. “Me not getting justice for my daughter makes me feel like I failed her.”
“I cannot sleep. I can barely eat. I keep repeatedly seeing images of my baby in that field,” she added. “She is only five, and these horrific things have happened to her. Please help, please look at this as if it was your own kid.”
Cleveland Police have stated that the investigation is still ongoing.
