Left inset: Antavia Kennibrew (WOIO/YouTube). Right inset: Antavia Kennibrew’s 5-year-old daughter (GoFundMe). Background: The area in Cleveland, Ohio, where Antavia Kennibrew’s daughter was allegedly set upon by a group of boys that cops say are all under the age of 10 (Google Maps).
In Ohio, a mother is calling for justice after her 5-year-old daughter endured a horrific assault, allegedly at the hands of a 10-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy. The attack reportedly involved rape, beating, and strangulation, leaving the young girl with her hair “scalped from her head.” On Wednesday, the mother, Antavia Kennibrew, urged the judge in the attempted murder case to impose strict penalties, asserting, “This type of behavior doesn’t deserve grace.”
Speaking to the juvenile court, as reported by Cleveland.com, Kennibrew emphasized the ordeal her daughter has faced, stating, “She has been going through it.” She added that the offenders should face similar scrutiny.
The plea followed a disruption in court proceedings when the 9-year-old defendant failed to appear, citing car troubles. Present at the hearing was the 10-year-old, whose parents opted not to attend. Dressed in a pink coat with a fur-lined hood, she remained silent while her public defender entered a denial of the charges on her behalf, according to Cleveland.com.
According to local CBS affiliate WOIO, Kennibrew declared in court, “They knew what they were doing… They even played after not caring about my baby.”
The Cuyahoga County prosecutors have formally charged the young girl and boy with attempted murder, rape, assault, kidnapping, and strangulation. The charges stem from the brutal attack on September 13, where Kennibrew’s daughter was allegedly left abandoned in a field, her hair forcibly removed.
Kennibrew claims the attack involved several boys and at least one girl; however, only the two children currently face charges.
“These are not normal kids,” Kennibrew alleged in a Facebook post about her daughter’s assault.
“I couldn’t believe what I saw in front of me,” the distraught mom explained about her child’s condition following the attack. “My daughter did not look like herself. She was traumatized.”
A post made by the Cleveland Division of Police on Oct. 7 said its Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit was actively probing the incident and “multiple children under the age of 10” were identified “as suspects.” Local officials have not responded to Law&Crime’s requests for comment on whether additional charges will be filed against the others.
“Their selves and their parents need to be held accountable,” Kennibrew blasted on Facebook.
The mom told police she dropped her daughter off that Saturday at a family member’s house in Cleveland. The 5-year-old “walked out” the front door of the home undetected and was allegedly found by the “bigger kids,” who presented themselves “as friendly,” according to Kennibrew.
“[The children] took her by her hand and walked her to a field that was far away from the residence,” Kennibrew alleged on Facebook. “In that field, they beat my daughter until she was unconscious. They ripped out her hair. They held my daughter down as they raped her. They also shoved sticks down her throat and … stripped her naked and strangled her with her own shirt.”
Kennibrew says her family member noticed that Kennibrew’s child was gone and went outside to see if she was in the area, but all she found were the alleged suspects.
“My family member … walked up to them and asked them if they saw a little girl,” Kennibrew explained in her post. “They stared at her with no remorse and told her no and continue[d] playing knowing what they had just done to my daughter.”
Authorities were called and the children eventually came back over to the family member with one of their parents to explain where Kennibrew’s daughter was, according to the mom. Kennibrew was alerted by the relative and she rushed over to find EMS treating her daughter several blocks over.
“Her hair was scalped from her head,” she told WOIO. “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 stuck in it.”
Kennibrew says the alleged attack left her daughter physically and mentally hurt, The young girl is currently undergoing therapy.
“I need justice for my daughter,” Kennibrew wrote on Facebook.
The 10-year-old who is charged was placed on home detention Wednesday with an ankle monitor. Prosecutors had asked for home detention to be considered “at a minimum,” according to Cleveland.com. A competency evaluation was also requested by the judge, who said she had “significant concerns” about whether the young defendant understands all of the charges against her.
A competency hearing was scheduled for January, while the 9-year-old boy who is charged was granted a rescheduled arraignment for next week.
