A community in Cleveland, Ohio, is shaken after two children—a ten-year-old girl and a nine-year-old boy—were charged with the rape and attempted murder of a five-year-old girl.
The brutal attack, which took place in a nearby field, left the young victim unrecognizable, according to her mother. Prosecutors say the children face several charges, including four counts of rape, attempted murder, felonious assault, kidnapping, and strangulation. Due to the minors’ ages, authorities have declined to release further details.
The child’s mother described the horrifying injuries her daughter suffered—her scalp torn, her face bruised, and her body covered in blood and dirt. She said the emotional scars are even deeper than the physical ones. “She’s only five,” the mother shared. “She’s not the same little girl anymore.”
Both mother and daughter are now in therapy as they try to rebuild their lives. “I want her to feel like a normal child again,” she said quietly. “I just want justice.”
The incident has drawn widespread outrage and reflection, reminding many how fragile childhood truly is.
No child should ever face such pain—and no parent should ever have to see it.
