Girl, 8, disowned by family after sexual assault

An 8-year-old girl who was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by four boys, some of whom were little older than her, is now suffering the added trauma of having been disowned by her family.

Both the alleged perpetrators of the assault and their victim are members of the Liberian refugee community in Phoenix, Arizona. Reports indicate the victim's family believes the young girl brought shame on them and that she was no longer welcome in their home. The news has led to sharp criticism of the family from the President of Liberia and the country's ambassadorial staff in the United States. The incident itself is said to have occurred on July 16 when four boys aged nine, 10, 13 and 14 allegedly lured the 8-year-old girl to a shed in an apartment block by promising to give her chewing gum. In an ordeal that lasted up to 15 minutes, the young girl was then held down and repeatedly assaulted. The BBC reports that her ordeal only came to an end when her screams were heard by officers in the vicinity. After hearing of the family's attitude towards their daughter, who is now being cared for by the Arizona Child Protective Service (CPS), Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is outraged. In a telephone interview with CNN, Johnson-Sirleaf said:

This is not a question of shame on the family. It is the question of an assault on a young child. That cannot be tolerated. We are so saddened. We are deeply distressed at this behavior on the part of our young Liberians and very saddened at this 8-year-old child who has been so victimized

In 2005, Johnson-Sirleaf became the first female to be elected head-of-state in an African country. She was President when rape was finally outlawed in Liberia in 2006. Johnson-Sirleaf said the victim's family should receive counseling to help them overcome the belief that what their daughter had been through had somehow brought shame on them. She also said the attackers should both be punished and counseled so they can become "useful citizens, not only in the United States but when they return home." Milton Barnes is the Liberian Ambassador to the United States and said all efforts will be made by his staff to ensure the welfare of the young girl is attended to. His deputy, Edwin Sele, also spoke of his own personal outrage at everything that had happened, saying that in Liberia the family and authorities alike would be "embracing the victim." Sergeant Andy Hill of Phoenix Police has confirmed the girl's family will not face prosecution for their decision to disown their daughter, as they did not actually abandon her -- they merely failed to support her. However, he was also able to report that offers of a new home for the girl and pledges of money had been flooding in from up to nine different U.S. states. The four boys arrested in connection with the incident have already appeared in court. The 14-year-old has been charged as an adult on two counts of sexual assault and one count of kidnapping. The three younger boys went before a juvenile court where they were all indicted on counts of sexual assault. Two of them were indicted on a count of kidnapping.