(CNN) -- Eight Florida teenagers -- six of them girls -- will be tried as adults and could be sentenced to life in prison for their alleged roles in the videotaped beating of another teen, the state attorney's office said Thursday. art.girls.fight.ho.jpgThe teenagers seen in a video assaulting a 16-year-old could face life in prison.
The suspects, who range in age from 14 to 18, all face charges of kidnapping, which is a first-degree felony, and battery, said Chip Thullbery, a spokesman for the Polk County state attorney. Three of them are also charged with tampering with a witness.
Everyone involved in the case was under a gag order imposed by a judge. The only attorney for the teens who has been publicly identified did not return calls from CNN, and his assistant cited the gag order as the reason. The teens are scheduled for their first appearance in court Friday.
The video shows a brutal scene: The 16-year-old victim is punched, kneed and slapped by other girls. She huddles in the fetal position, or stands and screams at her attackers, but the assault continues. Authorities say the eight teens said they were retaliating for insults posted on the Internet by the attack victim.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd called the March 30 attack "animalistic."
"I've been involved in law enforcement for 35 years, and I've seen a lot of extremely violent events, but I've never seen children, 14 to 18 years of age, engage in this conduct for a 30-minute period of time and then make these video clips," he said. Police say the teens planned to post the video on YouTube.
This is so crazy. So crazy. Wait, I thought only "inner city" kids were "violent"?
Posted by anthony at April 11, 2008 08:33 AM | TrackBack...my high school home-town.
Posted by: shawn at April 11, 2008 09:45 AMcongrats!
Posted by: Anthony at April 11, 2008 09:56 AMDude, this is not an isolated incident. Suburban white kids are getting more and more violent. I think it is "Fight Club" the philosophy behind the movie playing itself out. Kids are bored, they have been handed everything and have lost all meaning to life.
This is not the end my friend, we will hear more of these incidents sadly. I have been reading your recommendation "Price of Privledge" it is a very intriguing book!
Posted by: Carlos Griego at April 11, 2008 10:43 AMNot only are the kids bored but I think the life of privilege is one of no consequences – nothing is your fault and mommy and daddy will bail you out in the end. I coach in white suburbia and I see it everyday, kids who have never been punished or faced hardship. At its worst it reaches the level in this article, before they know it they’ve dug themselves a hole that mommy’s whining or daddy’s lawyers can’t rescue them from.
Posted by: Ben B at April 11, 2008 11:16 AMCarlos, so true!! Prophetic brutha, truly prophetic!
Posted by: Anthony at April 11, 2008 11:23 AMBen, yep, I totally see that as well. Good stuff!
Posted by: Anthony at April 11, 2008 11:23 AMMore and more violent? Where did you all grow up?
Sorry, but I don't see an increase AT ALL. My kids have been in an urban public school for three years now - I've not heard of one fight there. By the time I was in second grade not only I had been in three bloody fights myself but I'd witnessed at least one a week.
Maybe I just grew up in gangland where we all beat the crap out of one another till we were 17, but it seems to me that kids beat the heck out of one another well before YouTube and blogs could document them.
Posted by: stelmodad at April 11, 2008 11:28 AM...I submit that "zero tolerance" is to blame, somewhat, here. Kids get pissed, get in a scuffle, and it used to be a bit of punishment and it was over.
Now, there's hyper-vigilance, hyper-fear, and over-protection, and you can't just punch the bully without being arrested by the uniformed cop on campus and taken to jail.
That crap builds up after a while.
Posted by: shawn at April 11, 2008 11:48 AMCheck out David Grossman's books, "On Killing," and "Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill."
Gee, I wonder why SSO's (School Safety Officers) is the rule rather than the exception.
Posted by: Brad at April 11, 2008 03:40 PMI have only one question... What is wrong with the "white" family?
Sorry had to do it since after any public incident that happens in the minority community (in particular the African American community) that this question is always posed... "What is wrong with the "black" family?
Anyway I just seen a documentary on the history channel (I think) where they were talking about the "white suburban" gangs. One of them is called the "Straight Edge" gang. They actually have a message that says... no drugs/no alcohol and pro school(hence the name of the gang) but get caught up in wanting some "street cred" so they have become increasingly violent in order to "protect" one another. Ironic!
This doesn't suprise me at all though. I grew up with some white boys who could straight up throw down (fight in ebonics)so I have come to the conclusion that violence is not a "black thing" or "urban thing" but rather a male thing.
You feel me?
Great post Ant!
Peace!
Posted by: aaron at April 11, 2008 07:32 PMPS... I was partly joking about when I posed the question... What is wrong with the "white" family?
Not only joking but partly joking. Hmmm...?
I just didn't want to hear anyone ranting at me over that comment and take away from the actual subject of the post.
Peace,
Posted by: aaron at April 11, 2008 07:34 PMYeah but what are the stats on getting killed? I will live in Suburbia any day. Just watch "The first 48" on A&E or go walk through downtown Overtown on anynight in Miami FL, or Riveria Bch in Palm Beach county FL and see how safe you feel? Black or white you will be scared out of your pants. Also lets see how many stories are out there of people getting shot in subs b/c they "looked at somebody wrong".
Posted by: Stork at April 11, 2008 09:54 PM...come to find out, it's not just my high school town, but my high school, a small school in the small town of mulberry. originally they were saying 'lakeland', but twas mulberry. yikes.
Posted by: shawn at April 19, 2008 10:07 AM