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Rape Charges Dropped Against Nine Year Old Boy
By Michael Kiefer, The Arizona Republic
A Maricopa County Juvenile Court judge on Wednesday dropped charges against a 9-year-old boy accused of rape.
Judge Dawn Bergin ruled that the boy, whose name is being withheld by The Arizona Republic given his age, is incompetent to stand trial and is unlikely to be “restored,” that is, to be taught enough about the court system to understand the proceedings against him, within the time limits set by law.
The other three boys accused in the rape of a then 8-year-old girl at a west Phoenix apartment complex last summer, remain in the court system. All of the boys, ages 10, 13 and 15, and the victim are refugees from the African nation Liberia.
The oldest, Steven Tuopeh, was charged as an adult and has a hearing scheduled Friday to discuss whether he should be returned to juvenile court or be evaluated for mental competency in adult court. The other two boys are undergoing restoration. The girl’s parents have been arrested and charged with child abuse.
Editor @ December 18, 2009
Kevin and Elizabeth Schatz of Paradise has been charged with beating a young Liberian child they adopted to death and leaving the other in critical condition. I see no US delegation running to Liberia to explain that this is not the culture of the US yet Ma Ellen had to send a whole delegation to Arizona when a young Liberian girl was raped by a Liberian boy. News media all over the world kept talking about this savagery and how it was the Liberian culture. Yet, an American couple has beaten to death a Liberian child, and we see no explanation from the US government. Why should Liberians waste their taxpayers money to send a delegation to explain what was an isolated incident? Why are Liberians still tied to the US navel string?
President Ellen Apologized
Child abuse is highly common in the Liberia community. children are being sexually abused frequently by relatives, and closed family friends. A typical example: Eric Goodridge of NEW york, who was killed by his daughter after many years of abused. Many child abuse occurences are kept harsh harsh or the victims are blamed and punished secretly: Today, we as a community, must take actions to stop or minimize child abuse and also let victims know that we are concern. President Ellen Johnson demonstrated her concern and others are seeing it as waste of taxpayers funds. It is about time that taxpayers funds be use for a good reason: The first step to heal our young abused children. The first step for any healing process starts with acknowledgment of the problem. The President was apologestic because she acknowledged the reaction of the 8year old raped victim’s parents. And a Liberian male who explained to the Anchor lady that sexaul activities among young children are part of the Liberian’s culture. During a news interveiw, the victim’s parents and sibling blamed and threatened the victim about being punish when she return home. That is not a normal reaction of parents of a raped victims. The President does not have to be a follower, she’s being a leader. If other countries follow the President’s example that’s great if not so be it. She also being human.