Posted on 10/26/2007 5:04:16 AM PDT by TornadoAlley3
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — A woman who had her 13-year-old daughter's genitalia pierced to make it uncomfortable for her to have sex was acquitted of aggravated child abuse on Thursday.
The girl, now 16, had testified that her mother asked a friend in 2004 to shave the girl's head to make her unattractive to boys and later held her down for the piercing.
A jury deliberated for about three hours before deciding the mother's actions didn't involve punishment or malicious intent, or cause permanent damage or disfigurement.
The 39-year-old woman, whose name is being withheld to protect her daughter's identity, could have faced up to 30 years in prison if convicted of the charges.
The girl was not in court for the verdict. Her guardian declined comment.
"She was trying to protect me, but it hurt me," the girl testified earlier this week. "It not only hurt me physically, but it hurt me mentally. ... That's emotionally scarring. That's physical abuse."
Prosecutors said the mother called on a friend to shave the girl's head and do the piercing after realizing that she had been having sex, including with the mother's boyfriend.
Defense attorneys told jurors that the mother had trouble with her rebellious daughter and that the girl agreed to the piercing to help rebuild her mother's trust.
Child welfare officials were called after the girl became infected from the piercing.
Tammy Meredith, 43, who did the piercing in her home, was sentenced to a year in jail for her role. An arrest warrant has been issued for the mother's boyfriend on allegations he had sex with the girl.
That whole story is just messed up. If I was on the jury I would never had let her walk out without some jail time for doing that to her daughter.
Unfortunately jurors aren’t made aware of their rights and responsibilities anymore so they just do as the judge tells them to do.
Must be something new in parenting.
You need my tagline...
Second in line would be the "friend" who helped mutilate the girl, as well as her mother.
And it sounds like the girl needs to be in a mental hospital, or at least counseling - a 13 year old having sex with, apparently, multiple adult men has severe psychological problems and was probably sexually abused long before her mother's boyfriend statutorily raped her.
The boyfriend sleeps with a 12 year old and the mother punishes the girl? This guy probably only dated the mother to get to the daughter. This is what you get with divorce, single parenthood, absence of the real father in the family.
Not sure whether Mom had her facts straight.
There is a whole sub-culture built around the theory that genital piercing makes sex better.
And her first thought was to have the girl pierced??!!
She should be locked away for forever due to mega-Stupidity. People this dumb shouldn't be inflicted on the rest of society.
Isn’t there a term for people who act like this? Oh yea, Muslim.
Yep, it still amazes me that some people can be so horrible to kids. If it were up to me every one of them would be sitting in jail and the daughter would be in a rehab program while living with a decent foster family.
Apparently 13 is two years beyond average for girls in Portland, Maine.
What the F!!!!! Are these people nuts!?
Unless of course, its the real father diddling the kids.
Yes, of course that happens, but the vast majority of this type of ‘family’ abuse occurs from a stepfather or mother’s boyfriend.
Says you.
This so called "mother" gets off but her friend Tammy Meredith, 43, who did the piercing in her home, was sentenced to a year in jail for her role.
This is utter bs. Both belong in jail & for more then a year. What these people did to this teen is horrible & it will scar her forever.
A jury deliberated for about three hours before deciding the mother's actions didn't involve punishment or malicious intent, or cause permanent damage or disfigurement.
What kind of people were on this jury???
I forgot to add the boyfriend of the mother needs jail for a long time too & a mean nasty cell mate who loves to pick on morons who have sex with little girls.
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