Your little girl is having fun at a playground when she spies a group of kids picking on her little sister. Doing what any big sister would do, she intervenes, only to discover she has walked into the middle of a hornet's nest that results in her being shoved to the ground and stomped so severely that her hip is shattered and she requires surgery and weeks of physical therapy. Upsetting? Sure, but now add to that the fact that one of the perpetrator’s attorneys is moving to have the charges dropped against his client because he wants her to be able move on in her life with a "real appreciation" for what she did. Oh, and did I mention that the alleged perps are aged 10 and 11?
The attack in question occurred on April 3, at the Pfeiffer Burleigh playground in Erie, Pennsylvania. The victim, 10-year-old Rikki Triana (photo here ), was playing when she saw a group of girls throwing water on her 8-year-old sister. When Rikki yelled at the girls to stop, two of them allegedly turned their aggression toward her, pulling her off a jungle gym and shoving her to the ground.
"They started stomping on my head and legs," Rikki told the Erie Times-News . "I couldn't do anything."
The alleged brutal assault continued until two adults ran to Rikki's aide and broke up the attack. Moments later, Rikki's mother, Lisa Triana, arrived on the scene and ran to her daughter's aid. Rikki's hip was shattered during the attack, and the pain she suffered from her injuries caused her to go into shock. Looking up at her mother through her tear-filled eyes, she uttered these three words: "Mommy, I'm hurt."
Rikki was rushed to Hamot Medical Center in Erie, where she underwent surgery, which resulted in three pins being inserted into her hip. It remains unclear whether the pins will suffice or she will require hip replacement surgery.
"I know it's still painful. I see it. She still has spasms and stuff where she screams and cries in pain, but I'm hoping that will pass real soon," Lisa told WICU12.com . "I don't know how long it'll take, but we're here for the long haul."
On Wednesday, Rikki was transported to Erie Shriners Hospital for Children, where she will remain while she completes intensive physical and occupational therapy. A psychologist is also helping her to deal mentally with the attack.
The two suspects in this case, whose names are not being released due to their ages, are facing charges of aggravated assault, simple assault and conspiracy.
"If the allegations are true, this is perhaps the worst or one of the worst assaults perpetrated by a juvenile that we've seen in a long time," Erie County District Attorney Brad Foulk told The Associated Press. "And, given the age of the juveniles, it makes it even more alarming."
Formal charges were to be filed during a closed detention hearing in Erie County Juvenile Court on Wednesday. It remains unclear what transpired during that hearing; however, just hours later, the 10-year-old suspect’s attorney, Chief Erie County Public Defender Tony Logue, announced that he was preparing a petition to protest the juvenile allegations against his client.
"I am going to have a petition filed to have the charges dismissed," Logue told the Erie Times-News, adding that the case should be treated as a "dependency matter rather than a delinquency matter."
I don't know what dictionary they use in law school, but according to the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, delinquency is the "failure in or neglect of duty or obligation … wrongful, illegal, or antisocial behavior … and any misdeed, offense, or misdemeanor."
The grandfather of the 10-year-old, Maurice Martin, also feels his granddaughter should receive leniency.
"It seems like everyone is making out both of these girls to be monsters, and they're not," Martin told WICU12.com, adding, "For a 10-year-old or 11-year-old to assault someone bad enough to break a hip, come on, how much force does a kid exert?"
Ian Murray, the assistant public defender who is representing the 10-year-old suspect, told the Erie Times-News his client is remorseful and that he wants her to be able to move on with her life, albeit with a "real appreciation for the act that was committed."
The victim in this case would also like to move forward, but unfortunately, she cannot do that with ease due to the three steel rods holding her shattered hip together.
Regardless of either suspect's age, it is my personal opinion that if they are found guilty, they should be punished accordingly. Neither girl should walk away without ramifications, especially when the object of their rage is suffering in a hospital bed. How will these suspects learn right from wrong if they are not formally held accountable for committing such an unspeakable act of violence? Not only do they need punishment, but they also need extensive counseling to determine what drove them to commit such a heinous crime and to prevent it from occurring again. That's my two cents, anyway.
A fund to help pay for Rikki's medical bills was set up this week. Donations can be made in Rikki's name at any Northwest Savings Bank.