quote:

Originally posted by EbonyRose:

Detectives said the girl was placed in the custody of Phoenix child protective services after the attack because of her parents' attitude toward her.

does that mean?

It means they didn't want/love/appreciate/value her as their daughter.

I've just seen news commentary on this story. It is horrible that an eight year old girl cannot play safely with other children of the same age without a possibility of attack. One of the boys was 14 years old and I'm sure the ring leader or the one who conjured up such thoughts in the minds of the younger boys.

What is even worst, is the fact that the family of the girl are blaming her. They are telling police they do not want her back, but fronting like they care, etc., to the news media.

This incident brings me back to the debate about Burkas, in that as I have said before that Americans should have concern for so many immigrants coming here that are unwilling to compromise ANY of there cultural beliefs in exchange for smooth integration into American culture and laws.

I understand that this family is from Liberia and that the attitude this family has toward the girl comes from Liberian cultural beliefs that a rape is always somehow the female's fault; and that rape was only outlawed there in 2006. I'm sure that before this family came here, they had to know that Americans think differently about women and the roles of females in our society. However, evidently, every other culture in the world wants to come here and force their cultural beliefs down the throats of America.

I'm sure eveyone is going to get mad at me, but I honestly feel that if foreigners/immigrants want to come to America, especially on a permanent basis, they should be willing to compromise or have a more open mind regarding American law, culture, and viewpoints. There are too many immigrants coming to America trying to just merely transplant their cultural belief systems on top of America's, rather than attempt to integrate them or accept America's at all.

I have to ask, if foreigners/immigrants want EVERYTHING to be exactly the same way it is/was where they are from, then, why did they even leave and come here in the first place?

Anyway . . .

In this rape case, I hope the system finds a good home for this little girl to be raised in, and finds a way to send her family back to Liberia where they can practice this sexist, demeaning cultural practice all they want.

People who believe that a female being raped is her fault and who are more worried about their own daughter's being brutalized bringing 'shame' on their family than they are about the harm the rape has brought to their child have nothing but ignorance to bring to the American Table and will only be more of a liability than an asset to America.

NEW RULES:
FOREIGNERS AND NEW IMMIGRANTS must leave all you sexist, racist, tribal, and questionable beliefs, practices, and superstitions in the country that you have arrived from.

Actually, I heard that the girl was removed from her home because her parents BLAMED HER for being attacked.

Question: Why did/do a media outlets feel compelled to note that the girl and her attackers are from Liberia?

quote:

Originally posted by Kweli4Real:
Actually, I heard that the girl was removed from her home because her parents BLAMED HER for being attacked.

Question: Why did/do a media outlets feel compelled to note that the girl and her attackers are from Liberia?

Because they're (closet) racists assholes with an agenda?

On the story I posted a while back about the White Duke University professor who was selling sex with his 'adopted' Black son over the Internet ... I'm still not sure if CNN ever posted that 'little detail' regarding the boy's race. I had to get that from an underground news source.

This reminds of the young girl who was KILLED by a family member in the middle east cuz she chose to date someone outside her "clan." I don't think "homeboy" [the guy] she was dating was EVER harmed. Why is it that FEMALES [in situations like this] are blamed for the sick behavior of MALES I just don't get this shyte. And this is a CHILD...and yet her parents are no where NEAR mature enough[despite whatever religion/cultute they may be practicing] to understand/recognize that it was SHE who is violated. That's like blaming the rapee for being raped. OMG! For shame!

I think those who come from countries with this mindset should be trained that FEMALES in this nation.....has focking RIGHTS not only to their bodies but to due process. This really irriates the hell outta me. When you are a CHILD and NOT protected by the parents who bring you into the world....who do you HAVE? And why should this young girl feel like she did something WRONG? When she did not. This is gonna be with her all her adult life....and it is a definite tragedy and the wrong message to send...cuz we or I should say ME is gonna continue to think that folks from that part of the world are not only backward with their heads in the sand but should NOT be allowed to raise children in America [with different laws/customs regarding women/female children] especially if they are NOT gonna do the right thang as in this case....

BTw: Oh I forgot....at age eight in her country she would probably be married off by now Or given away to some sick 50 year old pervert for a couple of cows and cigar

Four Boys Charged in Phoenix Girl's Sex Assault

Date: Friday, July 24, 2009, 2:19 pm
By: Amanda Lee Myers, Associated Press



PHOENIX (AP) — Authorities said Thursday that four boys ages nine to 14 took turns raping an eight-year-old girl in a shed for more than 10 minutes after luring the young victim with chewing gum in what Phoenix police are calling one of the most horrific cases they've ever seen.

The outrage over the allegations intensified after police said the girl's parents criticized her after the attack and blamed her for bringing shame on the family.

"The father told the case worker and an officer in her presence that he didn't want her back. He said 'Take her, I don't want her,'" police Sgt. Andy Hill said.

The 14-year-old boy was charged Wednesday as an adult with two counts of sexual assault and kidnapping, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office said. He appeared in court Thursday and is being held without bond; he does not yet have a defense lawyer.

The other boys — ages nine, 10, and 13 — were charged as juveniles with sexual assault. The 10- and 13-year-old boys also were charged with kidnapping, the office said Thursday.

Phoenix investigators said the boys lured the girl to an empty shed July 16 under the pretense of offering her gum. The boys held the girl down while they took turns assaulting her, police said.

"She was brutally sexually assaulted for a period of about 10 to 15 minutes," Hill said.

Officers responding to an emergency call reporting hysterical screams found the girl partially clothed and the boys running from the scene.

"This is a deeply disturbing case that has gripped our community," Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas said Thursday. "Our office will seek justice for the young victim in this heartrending situation."

Hill cited the family's background as the reason the family shunned the girl. All five children are refugees from the West African nation of Liberia.

In some parts of Africa, women often are blamed for being raped for enticing men or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Girls who are raped often are shunned by their families.

"It's a shame-based culture, so the crime is not as important as protecting the family name and the name of the community," said Tony Weedor, a Liberian refugee in Littleton, Colo., and co-founder of the CenterPoint International Foundation, which helps Liberians resettle in the U.S. "I just feel so sorry for this little girl. Some of these people will not care about the trauma she's going through — they're more concerned about the shame she brought on the family."

In recent years, Liberia has made efforts to combat rape under the leadership of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who has sought to dispel the stigma associated with sexual assault by publicly acknowledging that she was herself the victim of attempted rape during the country's civil war.

The girl's healing process will be particularly difficult, said Paul Penzone of Childhelp, which aids young victims of crime. Authorities said the victim was in the care of Child Protective Services.

"These four boys used what was a ploy to entice her to a place where they could take advantage of her almost like a pack of wolves," he said.

"And what's so disturbing beyond the initial crime is the fact that a child needs to have somewhere to feel safe, and you would think that would be in a home with her own family," not in state custody, Penzone said.

Shame' felt by young assault victim's family decried



(CNN) -- The president of Liberia spoke Friday on the sexual assault of an 8-year-old Liberian refugee in Phoenix, Arizona, decrying reports that the parents believe their family has been shamed by the girl.

"This is not a question of shame on the family. It is the question of an assault on a young child. That cannot be tolerated," said President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, speaking by telephone.

Police have charged four boys, ages 9 to 14, in the case. The boys also are Liberian refugees.

"We are so saddened," Sirleaf said. "We are deeply distressed at this behavior on the part of our young Liberians and very saddened at this 8-year-old child who has been so victimized."

Phoenix police say the boys used an offer of chewing gum to lure the girl to a storage shed at an apartment complex on July 16. There, they allege, the four boys restrained and sexually assaulted her.

The 14-year-old was charged as an adult Thursday and will face two counts of sexual assault and one count of kidnapping. The other three boys were charged in juvenile court with sexual assault, and two of them also were charged with kidnapping, Thomas said.

Speaking from Liberia, Sirleaf said the family's reaction to the incident is wrong. "They should help that child who has been traumatized," she said.

She suggested the family members "need serious counseling because, clearly, they are doing something that is no longer acceptable in our society here."

She also called upon Phoenix authorities to counsel the alleged attackers. "They have to pay the penalty, but we also want to make sure that they are counseled ... that they will have an opportunity to change and become useful citizens, not only in the United States but when they return home."

Detectives said the girl was placed in the custody of Phoenix child protective services after the attack because of her parents' attitude toward her.

"The parents felt that they had been shamed or embarrassed by their child," Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill said Thursday.

Tony Weedor -- co-founder of the CenterPoint International Foundation, which aids Liberians in the United States and provides aid for those still in Liberia -- agreed with Hill. He said rape was not against the law in Liberia until 2006.

"The family [believes they] have been shamed by her ... and they're more concerned about that than the crime," he said.

Sirleaf said the family should not be concerned about that.

"Let me say very clearly that rape is a problem in Liberia also. There is a strong law regarding that," she said.

Milton Barnes, Liberia's ambassador to the United States, said he also will step in to help the victim.

"Our primary concern is this child," he said. "We intend to work with the authorities and the family to make sure she is safe, protected and there is certain sensitivity exercised towards her."

Edwin Sele, the deputy ambassador, also responded to the incident.

"Having heard the story myself, I'm outraged," he said. "In Liberia, the family and law enforcement officers would be embracing the victim. To hear that the family is not doing that, that should be an isolated case."

Hill said Thursday that protective services officers would "determine what's going to happen [to the girl] in the days ahead."



Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/...e.assault/index.html

For some reason, I don't believe him.


Dad of Raped Eight-Year-Old Denies Shunning Her

Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 3:00 pm
By: Terry Tang, Associated Press



PHOENIX (AP) — A Liberian man whose eight-year-old daughter allegedly was raped by four boys, and then reportedly shunned by her family, must wait at least three months before possibly regaining custody of the girl.

The father, who is not being named to protect the girl's identity, met with Child Protective Services on Monday.

The girl was taken into state custody after officials said they heard the victim's parents blame her and didn't want her anymore. But the father denied Monday that he ever blamed her or said that his daughter brought shame to the family.

"That is not true," the father told The Associated Press.

The family's pastor, who accompanied him to the meeting, said it will be 90 days until CPS officials reassess the situation. No arrangements for visitation have been made.

The incident has ignited an international outcry, including comments from Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

James Nyemah said the father was upset at having to go for such a long time without his daughter.

"He is troubled about the situation, that his daughter has been a victim of a horrible crime. This little girl that he raised ... knowing that the child might still be separated up to 90 days, that is troubling him," Nyemah said.

CPS officials said a three-month wait was not uncommon.

"Our primary goal in almost every case is to try to get a family unification. Whether it's going to recur in this case I can't say," said CPS spokesman Steve Meissner.

Prosecutors have charged a 14-year-old Liberian refugee as an adult. Three other boys — ages nine, 10 and 13 — have been charged in juvenile court.

Police said the boys lured the girl to an empty storage shed with the promise of chewing gum. Then they restrained her while taking turns assaulting her.

Nyemah said community officials also want to find out if there was any miscommunication between authorities and the girl's father. They also want to make sure families of the suspects and the victim get counseling.

Boys Charged in Child's Rape Appear in Court

Date: Thursday, August 6, 2009
By: Amanda Lee Myers, Associated Press



Liberian Deputy Ambassador to the United States Edwin Sele met with authorities about the rape of a young Liberian girl. (AP)



PHOENIX (AP) — The two youngest boys charged in the rape last month of an eight-year-old Liberian girl were ordered Wednesday to remain in juvenile detention with restricted visitors, as Liberia's deputy ambassador to the U.S. arrived in town hoping to speak to them.

At separate hearings during which one of the young defendants openly wept, judges ordered that no one be allowed to interview the nine-year-old boys without the permission of their lawyers, court-appointed advocates and Child Protective Services.

Both lawyers indicated they would advise the boys not to speak to the deputy ambassador, Edwin Sele, who arrived in Phoenix on Wednesday afternoon for a weeklong fact-finding mission and to help dispel notions that rape is condoned in the West African country.

He said during a news conference that he still hopes to interview the four boys despite the hurdles ahead of him.

"I'm sure we can speak to CPS and find ways to do this legally," said Sele, who was asked to visit Phoenix by Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Sele said he wants the boys to know that being innocent until proven guilty is a hallmark of the U.S. justice system and that he also wants to meet with the eight-year-old girl to tell her that all Liberians extend their love to her.

The rape case drew international attention last month after police reported the alleged victim's parents said they were ashamed of the girl and didn't want her back — a contention later disputed by the family's pastor. The girl remains in custody of Child Protective Services.

During the alleged July 16 attack, police say the nine-year-old boys and two teenagers lured the girl to an empty storage shed with the promise of chewing gum, restrained her and took turns raping her. A 14-year-old has been charged as an adult, and prosecutors are seeking to charge a 13-year-old as an adult, as well.

One of the nine-year-old boys, whose ankles and wrists were shackled during Wednesday's hearing, slouched in his oversized chair and was expressionless until Judge Aimee Anderson spoke directly to him.

"I will tell you I'm very proud of you for being back there and working so hard," she said as she held up a certificate that his juvenile facility had given him for good behavior. "I know it's not easy and pretty hard to make friends in there ... Hang in there, okay?"

As she spoke, tears poured down his face and his sniffles could be heard over a courtroom microphone.

Anderson granted prosecutors' request to change two of the boy's charges from sexual assault to sexual conduct. He also is charged with kidnapping.

Minutes later at a separate hearing, the nine-year-old charged in the case sat quietly and looked around curiously from time to time. Judge Dawn Bergin ordered that his sexual assault charge be changed to sexual conduct, also at prosecutors' request.

The nine-year-old boys' uncle, whom The Associated Press is not identifying because he shares a last name with one of the boys, told the AP outside court that he was skeptical about whether his nephews had committed rape. "It's hard to believe a nine-year-old could commit rape," he said.

He said the boys are cousins, came to the U.S. about six years ago and had been living in Phoenix with their grandmother. He said neither remembers their life in Liberia, speak very limited English and don't understand what's going on in court.

During the hearings, a court-appointed advocate for the boys said the parents of one of them still live in Africa, while the other's mother is dead and his father is in Africa.

Neither have legal guardians, she said, which is why she said she will file dependency petitions on each of their behalf in hopes of getting them out of juvenile detention and placing them with an uncle or in Child Protective Services.

Meanwhile, Phoenix police released a lengthy report about the rape late Wednesday.

All four boys admitted to participating in the assault, and two referred to it as rape, according to the report.

"(The boy) told me that he saw them 'raping' her," wrote investigator Patricia Fimbresa about one of the nine-year-olds. "I asked (him) to tell me what he meant by 'raping her.' (He) told me that it was when you see a girl and take them somewhere that nobody sees, and you do things to them and run away."

The report also details interactions between police and the girl's parents.

Investigator Samantha Pimentel wrote that when she talked to the girl's father on July 23, he appeared disgusted and frustrated and said in front of his daughter that all she does is cause problems and ruin the family's chances of becoming U.S. citizens.

Pimentel wrote the girl's mother then came out and pulled her daughter by the ear to take her inside, causing the girl to scream in pain, according to the report.

Another investigator, Jacquelyn MacConnell, wrote that the father told investigators that "it is her fault."

After instructing the other officers to take the girl away, MacConnell wrote that she confronted the parents.

"I walked up to both of them ... and advised them that they both needed to be educated," she wrote. "They questioned the comment, and I told both of them in plain, exact and slow English, 'Your daughter was raped. It is not her fault.'"

Pastor James Nyemah, who is acting as the family's spokesman, said the father's statements were the result of a misunderstanding stemming from a language barrier and that he desperately wants his daughter back.

Here's my prediction:

The younger boys will be adjudicated delinquent [found guilty in a juvenile court setting], prabably on lesser charges.

The two older boys that are being tried as adults will plead to reduced charges because the prosecutor has serious evidence problems ... he can't use the confession - no parent was present for the questioning plus a possible Miranda Warning problem.

I dunno .... the more I read about this story, the more confusing it gets!

Why won't these children's 'lawyers' let the Ambassador see the children?? They are Liberian nationals, after all.

And what genius decided it was acceptable to shackle a scared, little 9 y/o boy by his hands and feet and bring him into court?

Why do these children only speak 'limited English' after being here for 6 years? Are they not in school? And if not, why not? And what are they doing during the day when they are supposed to be in school?

And what does that mean that they don't have 'legal guardians? How did they get here without having somebody to be legally responsible for them? That's disturbing on a number of levels.

I fear for the older boys, too. As K4R says, the police can't use the confessions ... but, if the 8 y/o victim testifies against them ... then it's pretty much all over for them. I think I would rather see them deported back to Liberia than to end up in a U.S. jail as convicted rapists.

I just don't see any type of positive outcome for anybody involved in this story.

quote:

And what genius decided it was acceptable to shackle a scared, little 9 y/o boy by his hands and feet and bring him into court?

This IS Arizona, ya know. They're lucky they are getting a trial.

quote:

Originally posted by Kweli4Real:

quote:

And what genius decided it was acceptable to shackle a scared, little 9 y/o boy by his hands and feet and bring him into court?

This IS Arizona, ya know. They're lucky they are getting a trial.

Liberian Official Meets with Young Rape Victim

Date: Monday, August 10, 2009, 2:43 pm
By: Amanda Lee Myers, Associated Press



PHOENIX (AP) —Liberia's deputy ambassador to the U.S. said Sunday that he tried to console an eight-year-old rape victim in Phoenix with hugs and a teddy bear in a case that has gripped Liberians worldwide.

Deputy Ambassador Edwin Sele said the girl, a Liberian refugee, cried heavily during their meeting on Saturday and that she needs to be reunited with her family to get the best care possible.

"I talked with her, and I took her a teddy bear," he said. "She was very distressed. She's really traumatized. ... She cried so bitterly that I almost cried."

Phoenix police allege four boys, all Liberian refugees ages 9 to 14, lured the girl to an empty storage shed July 16 with the promise of chewing gum, then restrained and raped her.

The case sparked an international outcry after police reported the girl's father said she brought shame on the family and he didn't want her back. Authorities said the comments prompted Child Protective Services to take custody of the girl.

Sele, who met with the girl's parents, said a language barrier had caused a misunderstanding over the comments. Sele also said the parents were desperate to see their daughter again.

"The families are not the criminals," he said.

The girl also wants to see her parents and feels like being kept from them is a punishment, Sele said. "She's feeling like, 'What has happened? What have I done?'"

Child Protective Services is still investigating, and officials have not said when or if the girl will be returned to her parents.

Sele was on his last full day in Phoenix on Sunday as part of a fact-finding trip. He spent it attending a church service at Africa Faith Expressions and speaking to the hundreds of Liberian congregants in a town hall meeting afterward.

During his five-day trip, Sele also met with police, child care workers, prosecutors and the children's family members at the request of Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Sele also had hoped to meet with the four boys charged with raping the girl, but was stopped by lawyers.

The 14-year-old boy who so far is the only one being charged as an adult in the case is scheduled for a court hearing Monday. He is charged with one count each of kidnapping, sexual assault and attempted sexual conduct with a minor, and four counts of sexual conduct with a minor.

Prosecutors are seeking adult charges against the 13-year-old accused in the case, while two 10-year-olds are charged in juvenile court with sexual conduct. One of them also is charged with kidnapping. Both boys are scheduled for mental competency hearings Aug. 18.

Originally posted by Ebonyrose

quote:

I dunno .... the more I read about this story, the more confusing it gets!

Why won't these children's 'lawyers' let the Ambassador see the children?? Confused They are Liberian nationals, after all.

And what genius decided it was acceptable to shackle a scared, little 9 y/o boy by his hands and feet and bring him into court?

Why do these children only speak 'limited English' after being here for 6 years? Are they not in school? And if not, why not? And what are they doing during the day when they are supposed to be in school?

And what does that mean that they don't have 'legal guardians? Confused How did they get here without having somebody to be legally responsible for them? That's disturbing on a number of levels.

I fear for the older boys, too. As K4R says, the police can't use the confessions ... but, if the 8 y/o victim testifies against them ... then it's pretty much all over for them. I think I would rather see them deported back to Liberia than to end up in a U.S. jail as convicted rapists.

I just don't see any type of positive outcome for anybody involved in this story.

This reminds of those children I talked earlier about from Haiti. They couldn't speak English. They were huddled together like scared sheep. And the adults responsible for them were NO WHERE around. It was like they just dropped them off (afterschool program)and went about their day as if they weren't needed.

That's why I believe that it should be ongoing monitored transitional orientation at least for a year....making absolutely SURE that those[from a dark point of view regarding thr rights of women/girls] coming to this country (especially with female children) understand the dynamics of what is [I really don't wanna say] expected...but! It is okay to bring your culture here...really. I have no problem with that...but! Leave that backward azz savage no one has rights back at home....especially in environments that see children and women as property/chattel instead of human beings.

The boys must have felt it was okay to disrespect a young girl[not to say it doesn't happen here...it does all the time...but! The difference is in many cases the perp KNOWS it's wrong].

And of course these young boys are gonna be treated like chattel/or adult criminals with chains on hands and feet cuz it's really no one representing their rights as well...not really being a voice...cuz why? We all know why.

I think this whole thing is DONE absolutely WRONG! Both parties: the girl and the boys need thorough and ongoing counseling. Probably througout adulthood. Where are the black child psychiatrics and black child psychologists coming to these children's aid? What they DON'T need is political busybodies....doing absolutely nothing....but! Making it worse

Liberian Boys in Rape Case Placed in Foster Care

Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2009, 2:43 pm
By: Amanda Lee Myers, Associated Press




PHOENIX (AP) — Two 10-year-old boys charged in the alleged gang-rape of an eight-year-old Liberian girl must be released from juvenile detention and placed in therapeutic foster-care homes rather than with their own families, judges ruled Tuesday.

Judge Aimee Anderson also ruled that one of the boys is incompetent to stand trial and ordered him enrolled in a program that could render him fit for trial within six months.

Two mental-health experts found the other 10-year-old incapable of becoming competent to stand trial within six months. Judge Dawn Bergin could order the charges against that boy dismissed at a hearing next month if she agrees with the experts after they testify.

Phoenix police allege the boys, along with a 13- and 14-year-old, lured the girl to an empty storage shed July 16 and raped her. All four are also refugees from the West African nation of Liberia.

The judges also ordered Tuesday that the two 10-year-olds wear ankle bracelets that will electronically monitor them and that their families surrender travel documents.

Anderson's orders brought an emotional response from the boy's family. His uncle asked Anderson if the boy was guilty and told her that he didn't want him in foster care as other family members wept. One aunt yelled at the judge and pointed at her, prompting bailiffs to escort her out of the courtroom.

The boy wept loudly in court and told Anderson he wanted to go home as tears streamed down his face; the judge tried to console him.

"Listen, you're going to be out of detention," she said. "You're going to be sleeping in a really nice bed."

After the hearings, the boys' uncle, who is not being identified to protect the children's identities, told The Associated Press that they should be with him, not in foster homes. "At least they'll be out of jail," he added.

One of the boys is set to be placed with a stay-at-home mother and former teacher who will tutor him. The other one is set to go to a different stay-at-home mother who also is caring for a 12-year-old boy with special needs.

The case sparked an international outcry after police reported the girl's father said she brought shame on the family and he didn't want her back — comments a family pastor later said were misunderstood because of a language barrier.

State child welfare officials have custody of the girl.

The 14-year-old boy accused in the rape so far is the only one being charged as an adult. He's charged with one count each of kidnapping, sexual assault and attempted sexual conduct with a minor, and five counts of sexual conduct with a minor.

Prosecutors are seeking adult charges against the 13-year-old accused in the case.

~The father is upset because he has to be made to wait 90 days before he can "mercy kill" the girl and get his good family name "clean" again. Let her cry, let her cry, let her get it all out and get over it...but DO NOT SEND HER BACK TO THAT APARTMENT. Her parents are ACTING. It's too late for this girl. She not only needs to be placed in a safe home, she needs her identity changed and whereabouts witheld from her so-called family. They are cursed and it won't be lifted until she's no longer breathing.

In countries with this type of backward thinking, females are not even allowed in a room with a boy alone for even a second. If they do, everything concerning the girl and her family's name is compromised until the situation is rectified and verbal pleas just do not cut it. Alone in a room with no witnesses to verify that nothing happened is the same thing as saying "yeah, we did it." You may as well admit you did, even if you didn't, because you'll be treated as if you did. Sometimes the girl will be "examined" to see if she's still a virgin and that might save her life.

I hope that this little girl does not get put back into her parents hands.~

Rape victim's parents charged with abuse November 21, 2009 6:55 a.m. EST



(CNN) -- The parents of an 8-year-old Liberian girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by four boys in July were arrested Friday on child abuse charges, according to Arizona police.

The father, 59, and mother, 47, were arrested Friday in Phoenix on seven counts of child abuse, said police spokesman Sgt. Andy Hill. Police were waiting for them at their home after the Maricopa County Attorney's Office issued the warrants.

The names of the parents have been withheld by CNN to avoid identifying the daughter, who is an alleged rape victim.

The child abuse investigation was based on documented incidents from the Phoenix Police Department and numerous referrals to Arizona Child Protective Services dating to 2005.

Police said the parents, refugees from the West African nation, used sticks, wires and their fists to hit their young daughter.

Witnesses told CNN affiliate KTVK that the parents left their daughter wandering their apartment complex alone at night, begging for food.

See KTVK's coverage

Details of the girl's assault last summer shocked the nation. She was allegedly lured to a storage shed, pinned down and gang-raped by four boys, none of them older than 14.

The parents said they felt they had been shamed by their child and blamed her for being victimized. As a result, the girl was taken from her home and placed in state custody.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said at the time that the parents' reaction was wrong and that they needed counseling.