Two young children, a nine-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl, are facing serious charges after allegedly raping and scalping a five-year-old girl in Ohio, US. The incident occurred on September 13 when the victim disappeared from a relative’s home in Cleveland and was later found unconscious and injured in a nearby field.

The 10-year-old girl appeared in court and denied the charges of attempted murder and rape, while the nine-year-old boy missed his arraignment, leading to a warning from the judge about a potential arrest warrant if he fails to show up for the next hearing. The two children, among the youngest to face such charges in the state this year, are also accused of felonious assault, kidnapping, and strangulation.

The victim, who is autistic, was reportedly urinated on and sexually assaulted before being discovered and hospitalized. Her mother pleaded with the judge to consider the severity of the crime and the trauma her daughter endured. The accused girl, accompanied by a woman in court, remained silent as her lawyer denied the charges on her behalf.

The girl’s defense requested her release to family custody, but the prosecutor advocated for home detention with an ankle monitor due to the gravity of the charges and the absence of the girl’s parents in court. The judge agreed with the prosecutor’s recommendation, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.

Legal proceedings also revealed concerns about the girl’s understanding of the charges, prompting a request for a competency evaluation to ensure she can participate in her defense. The boy’s attorney sought a continuance for his arraignment, citing car trouble, which was granted by the judge with a warning about future attendance.

The victim’s mother described the harrowing scene upon finding her daughter, with injuries including scalping, bruises, and blood. Distressing images showed the extent of the girl’s injuries, and the mother recounted her daughter waking up in the hospital believing she had died, expressing shock at her young child’s awareness of such trauma.

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