FOXNews.com - Jury Acquits Florida Woman of Child Abuse Over Daughter's Genital Piercing - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News
NAPLES, Fla. — 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.

This is from FoxNews for Christ's sake. You mean to tell me a woman shaves her daughters head and pierces her genitalia by holding her down to prevent her from having sex is found innocent?
I dont have access to the transcript. But at face value this is beyond horrible.

The fact this girl was having sex at 13 with her mom's boyfriend is beyond bad parenting in my opinion.

The woman who did the actual piercing was sentenced to a year in jail. The mother who demanded it, gets nothing.
Ultimately the victim involved gets all of the trauma involved with being that. On top of knowing the person who persecuted this crime who happens to be her own mother will walk free forever as a result of it. She will struggle to heal forever without being able to hold those accountable, being where they belong.

Typicals southern christian family values.

__________________
Is our children learning? -George W. Bush

"I think—tide turning—see, as I remember—I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of—it's easy to see a tide turn—did I say those words?"—Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006

"[T]he illiteracy level of our children are appalling."—Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004

Typical Ajax vitriol toward almost half of the country based only on geographical location. Both are beyond ignorant.

__________________
I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them; speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

So you're saying that southern Christians are the only parents that don't want their 13-year-old daughters engaging in sexual intercourse?

Nowhere in the article does it mention that the woman did this due to religious beliefs which means that you're trolling again. Go play somewhere else for awhile and give us a break, please.

__________________


"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"

How f*cked up people can be never ceases to amaze me, you think you have heard it all - then something else even more illogical comes along.

Until society fully rejects "progressives" and there "nothing is truly right or wrong" mentality - shit like this will continue.
There disparately needs to be a return to traditional and rational values in this country. For crying out loud 25% of white children grow up without a father, and 70% of black children do.

Meanwhile, millions of goth kids think this is, like, the coolest mom ever.

__________________
“Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people.” -Dr. Carl Sagan

Back in my day, there was a little thing called the Chastity Belt. Kids these days, I tell ya. Our society is going to hell in a handbasket, and so on.

__________________
"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

What was the jury thinking? Also, what about the Mom's boyfriend? I assume he is an adult. Is he being charged with his crimes?

Someone please tell me the justice system in FLA isnt this messed up.
I am thinking about the life sentence given to the 12 year old boy a long time. I understand plenty has happened with that boy later getting into trouble. But why would any 12 year old be given a life sentence and this woman gets to walk free?

Is there someone from FLA who has more background info on the case?

I think that the cases are more about the lawyers than anything else. I've read about cases that seemed to defy common sense, but which were, apparently, well decided in terms of legal argument.

For instance, to play Devil's Advocate, what's to stop the girl from saying what she said about the mother had the mother simply spanked her or ordered her to get a haircut? Note that I'm not saying that they're the same thing, but when you're talking about the law, you're talking about precedent and jurisprudence.

__________________
"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

The issue, FYI, is not about not wanting her child to have sex; it's about maiming her kid as a means to stop it, which is abuse, plain and simple.

__________________
Life only becomes meaningful at its extremes

-- S

(And to continue playing devil's advocate)

A piercing the child agreed to constitutes "maiming"? Those of you whose daughters wear non-magnetic earrings had better watch your backs...

__________________
"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

No fucking shit, cupcake. Did I say I agreed with what the parent did? Geez! first Ajax and now you! Go troll somewhere else.

__________________


"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"

Shit like this will continue then.

For awhile at least.

Many people ARE waking up to the fact that liberal "progressive" ideologies have been taken too far and become degenerate and dangerous for society.

These things take time though. Long, drawn out difficult social reorganizations can be painful and take a lot of time. Look at the shit and how long the shit took after the '60's "movement". We're still readjusting from THAT.

Peirce your whole left buttcheek and you RULE

With a railroad spike

What on Earth are you talking about? Some Springer show candidate has a daughter that screws her boyfriend, and she remedies the situation by piercing the daughter's genitals, and this has what to do with the 60's? Is that you, Hank?

Would it be better to return to the pre-60's days when events like this were kept "in the family" (i.e. incest/rape/etc went blissfully unreported), and everyone vented by lynching a few black people? What, exactly, are you lobbying for here, beyond the usual "hell in a handbasket, the past was perfect" claptrap?

__________________
"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson