NEED TO KNOW
- A Cleveland mother says her 5-year-old daughter was physically and sexually assaulted by a group of older boys
- Cleveland police have not commented on the specifics of the case, but said investigators are working on an “ongoing” matter involving “children under the age of 10, both as victims and as suspects”
- The mother said her daughter was “unrecognizable” when she was found and that she has not been “the same” since the alleged Sept. 13 incident
A Cleveland mother is calling for justice after she says her 5-year-old daughter was brutally beaten and sexually assaulted by a group of boys who lured her from a family member’s home last month.
Antavia Kennibrew recently opened up about the alleged Sept. 13 incident on social media, according to reports by local Cleveland 13, ABC 5, and WOIO, writing that her 5-year-old daughter was found “unrecognizable” after a group of boys lured her into a nearby field where they physically and sexually assaulted her.
“What I saw was unbelievable,” Kennibrew told WOIO in an interview this week. “My daughter was not my daughter. Her hair was scalped from her head. She had bruises and blood all over her body. Her eyes were filled with blood. Her lips and mouth were filled with blood. Her nails had debris and dirt in it.”
PEOPLE is not identifying the child due to her age and the sensitive nature of the allegations.
Cleveland police have not commented on the specifics of the case but shared a statement on social media saying the department “is aware of a post recently shared regarding an ongoing case.”
“The Division’s Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit is actively investigating a matter involving multiple children under the age of 10, both as victims and as suspects,” the Cleveland Police Department wrote, adding that “releasing additional information at this time could jeopardize the integrity of the investigation and compromise the privacy and constitutional rights of those involved.”
Kennibrew alleged in an interview with Cleveland 13 that three older boys, ages 8, 9, and 10, were responsible for her daughter’s assault. The mother said the boys beat her daughter until she was unconscious, urinated on her and tried to strangle her with her shirt. The boys also sexually assaulted the young girl, her mother alleged.
The mother said that her daughter “is not the same” after the alleged attack.
“She is having behavioral problems,” Kennibrew told the outlet. “She is mentally not OK. I am mentally not OK. Me not getting justice for my daughter makes me feel like I failed her.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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