Left inset: Antavia Kennibrew (WOIO/YouTube). Right inset: Antavia Kennibrew’s 5-year-old daughter (GoFundMe). Background: The location in Cleveland, Ohio, where Antavia Kennibrew’s daughter was reportedly attacked by a group of boys, all believed to be under 10 years old, according to police (Google Maps).
An Ohio mother alleges that her 5-year-old daughter was brutally attacked, sexually assaulted, and had her hair forcibly removed by several young boys, whom police suspect are all younger than 10.
“These are not normal kids,” stated Antavia Kennibrew in a Facebook post last week, addressing the alleged attack on her daughter on Sept. 13. Police officials have confirmed an ongoing investigation into the matter.
“I couldn’t believe what I saw in front of me,” the distressed mother recounted regarding her daughter’s state post-assault. “My daughter did not look like herself. She was traumatized.”
The Cleveland Division of Police announced on Oct. 7 that their Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit is thoroughly investigating the case, identifying “multiple children under the age of 10” as suspects. Local authorities did not answer inquiries from Law&Crime on Monday regarding potential charges.
“I am bringing this to the media today because the authorities are failing my daughter. They are trying to tell me that two of the kids can’t and won’t be charged because they are 8 and 9 years old, even though they attempted to murder my baby and they raped and beat her,” Kennibrew wrote on Facebook. “Their selves and their parents need to be held accountable.”
Kennibrew says 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 boys] took her by her hand and walked her to a field that was far away from the residence,” Kennibrew alleged. “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 the children left her daughter in the field and continued “playing” in the neighborhood. 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 was the alleged suspects, per Kennibrew.
“My family member … walked up to them and asked them if they saw a little girl,” Kennibrew explained. “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.
“What I saw was unbelievable,” she told local CBS affiliate WOIO. “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 stuck in it.”
Kennibrew says the alleged attack left her daughter physically and mentally hurt, with photos posted by the mother showing “her hair pulled from her scalp,” according to Kennibrew. The young girl is currently undergoing therapy and her mom has called on police to file charges related to the incident.
“I need justice for my daughter,” Kennibrew wrote on Facebook.
