A new low in blaming the victim

No charges. No hearing. No access to an attorney. Incarcerated in isolation.
Nah, I’m not talking about suspected terrorists. This is, apparently, how officials in Akron, Ohio treat 14-year-old sex abuse victims.
A teenage girl was jailed for 12 days as a material witness against the man who molested her. She was released today. But as her lawyer Eddie Sipplen points out, “By no means does this mean it’s over. She must now deal with the trauma of being isolated in an adult jail for almost two weeks.”
Because the girl failed to show up to testify at her accused abuser’s trial, authorities– and her own mother– thought she’d be better off in jail. They feared she would try to run away.

The mother said Monday that if it was illegal to jail her daughter, she supported the decision to release her. “I hope she’s learned her lesson,” she said. “But I will be there for her, support her and love her.”

Learned what lesson? That victims deserve to relive or be punished for the crimes perpetrated against them? How is it possible that anyone decided an adult jail was the best place for this girl? It’s no wonder she’s blaming herself:

“I felt so alone for a while,” she said. “I missed my family…. It was just a dumb mistake.“

This is just too depressing.
Twisty and Jill have more.