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She could have just repeated what her sibling said. With all this coming out do think the charges will be down graded?
When I saw that the 3 yr old said "he's dead"...the first thing I thought of is he/she must have heard the other girls yelling "he's dead" over and over. I agree a three yr old would have thought sleeping...not dead. But who knows what kind of stuff the 3 yr old was allowed to watch on tv/video games...with lack of parental supervision and two teens in the home. So he/she may be acquainted with "dead".
 
Since these girls are a victim of sexual assault themselves, I have removed their pics and names from this thread, as well as the front page article I wrote up earlier. If you continue to discuss this story, let's leave out their names - media outlets were unaware of the past sexual abuse charges when the story first broke.
 
You guys are sensitive. You can be direct with a child. My mother was. I understood perfectly what she meant when she explained dead as "never coming back". I always explain the term to my little cousins when they ask. Why sugarcoat it? That's my opinion of course.
 
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@Agnosic, for what it's worth, in my opinion, a child as young as 3 yrs old is not old enough to comprehend life vs death. It's such a complex subject. Most children of that age are still trying to figure out how to get their pants on one leg at a time.

Also, I would guess this sweet young girl at that tender age probably overheard her sisters talking about their brother being dead (even typing that sentence made me sad) instead of 'death' being the topic of conversation & being carefully explained to her.

Either way, regardless of our different points of view, it doesn't change the fact that this story is truly tragic no matter how you read it. It was shocking to say the least to read that a 3yr old girl told the cops, "he's dead". :bigtears: Your right about one thing for sure, I am definitely sensitive when it comes to children. I just don't think death should ever be something that young children of that age should ever have to know the meaning of. At least not until their little brains are mature enough.
 
You guys are sensitive. You can be direct with a child. My mother was. I understood perfectly what she meant when she explained dead as "never coming back". I always explain the term to my little cousins when they ask. Why sugarcoat it? That's my opinion of course.
I don't think people sugarcoat death or underestimate children, but at 3 our development may not allow us to understand it as easily as it is explained to us. I think if anything, the fact that a 3 yr old saw her dead brother & announced it is simply shocking. It's not that she didn't comprehend it's - why should she have to?
 
@TKaz @Leslie33
Thank you for replies, ladies. It's understandable that we differ in opinions, but I should clear a few things up. I don't disagree with your statements on children being too underdeveloped psychologically to understand the concept of life and death, I was simply stating that to explain death to a child or for a child to know of the term death isn't erroneous. My mother always explained demise to me in little terms until I matured enough in age to understand the general explanation of it. While they may not be able to comprehend it fully, we can give them micro explanations that suit their age. My statement was directed to the belief of a child knowing the term death as wrong. Which it isn't, in my opinion of course.

I am a bit of a blunt person, and while I am too a sensitive person when it comes to children I don't see the purpose of shielding them from natural occurrences. I think it'll be harder in life down the road when they face events of death. They'll be completely vulnerable to the situation. It's just a bit ill-acted to not tell them when you consider their futuristic image.

I don't think death requires a certain length of maturity for explanation. As long as they can comprehend simple happenings most should be able to water it down into infantile terms.

Regardless, she learned about death in a completely unfair way, and no one of any age should have to encounter the death of their siblings. This story is horrid.
 
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@TKaz @Leslie33
Thank you for replies, ladies..

Yes yes & yes. I don't think anyone around here is one to step around lessons in life was all I was saying. We all take parenthood head on, OBVIOUSLY the people in the story are not like that. Sadly. I think a child should know what death is, just not with a family member on their floor. I think that is where a reader's shock comes from, not so much that she knows the idea but that it's THERE on her FLOOR.
If that made sense. But I completely agree with what you're saying.
 
Thank you all for a measured discussion of the issue of death and toddlers. Not having offspring of my own I am probably unlikely to have to consider what I tell a child, but I do remember one friend of mine who was told at a tender age when the adults clearly thought they would spare er knowledge of death that one of their grand-parents had "gone to sleep" who was petrified of going to bed for a while after......
 
Thank you all for a measured discussion of the issue of death and toddlers. Not having offspring of my own I am probably unlikely to have to consider what I tell a child, but I do remember one friend of mine who was told at a tender age when the adults clearly thought they would spare er knowledge of death that one of their grand-parents had "gone to sleep" who was petrified of going to bed for a while after......

Actually I was a little tongue tied when my grandma passed away, my daughter was barely 4. Maria Shriver wrote a book, "What's Heaven?" for children. Now, I'm not religious, or Catholic like Shriver but it made some good points that I felt were easy to describe to a 4 yr old, she wasn't reading yet so I was able to skip & ad lib.
Anyway, the part I liked was the introduction of body vs. soul. We have our body, and it holds our soul. What is our soul? Our laughter, our smiles, the songs we sing or things we love to do. When the body cannot go on, the soul does by remembering that persons laughter, smiles, etc.
That's not verbatim, and I haven't read it since 2008 but I just liked the explanation of what a soul is, it made it tangible for a child.
 
I wished I'd had that book when I had to explain to my 8 year old that his PaPa had died. It took a couple days before he fully understood it. At the funeral my son put his precious Donatello Ninja turtle in the casket with him to keep him company. He had always called Corey, Donatello.
 
From the Washington Post, "Sometimes we can send them home after that, but in light of all of the facts in this case, we don’t have any place to send the children,” prosecutor Jeff Siegmeister told the GainesvilleSun. “I may be forced to actually charge them as adults to hold them in juvenile detention until I can work something out.”

Send them to my home. I will love them and shelter them and make sure they have counseling and hugs and kisses. How can we think that "housing" them in juvenile detention will render them whole? How will they heal and learn right from wrong? I truly believe the older girl saved her sisters from years of abuse. I am not saying she did the right thing, but maybe this is the only out she saw. She tried suicide and she failed but maybe she realized that if she succeeded, the abuse would just move to her sister. I hope rehabilitation is on the horizon and I hope they force the parents to work off the cost of counseling times three for these three beautiful little girls.
 
"It's hard for us to get our arms around this act," Columbia County Sheriff Mark Hunter said.

Given the history of abuse in the home, how is it that hard to wrap ones arms(odd wording) around it?

And if you previously caught your kids banging, why in the fuck would you EVER leave them alone together again? These parents are fucking scum, absolutely no denying that. The mom looks like she's got fetal alcohol syndrome, hopefully her IQ isn't too low that it negatively effects what should be a massive prison sentence.
 
The Florida girls who were arrested and charged with shooting their 16-year-old brother earlier this month will be charged as juveniles, according to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. The sisters, ages 15 and 11, will be charged with second-degree murder.

The charges stem from an incident on Jan. 5, when the older sister allegedly shot her brother while he slept. Their parents were on a long-haul trucking assignment when the shooting occurred. They have been arrested and charged with child neglect.
http://www.people.com/article/florida-girls-charged-juveniles-killing-brother
http://www.people.com/article/florida-girls-charged-juveniles-killing-brother
 
No charges will be filed against an 11-year-old North Florida girl held in connection to her brother's fatal shooting, but charges are still being considered for her 15-year-old sister, prose
The elder sister, who police say fatally shot her 16-year-old brother Jan. 5 while their truck-driver parents were away for work, could still be charged, said Third Circuit State Attorney Jeff Siegmeister. She is due back in court in March.


Both girls were released from juvenile detention and have been placed in new homes under state supervision. Their parents, who face felony child-neglect charges, are out of jail on bond.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-ap-siblings-deadly-shooting-20150205-story.html
 
Why should she not know? I would hope she knows.
It should be explained to her in the most appropriate way possible for her as an individual as well as a three year old..however to know all about it already at three to the point of recognizing death when she sees it is a bit unusual.
 
It should be explained to her in the most appropriate way possible for her as an individual as well as a three year old..however to know all about it already at three to the point of recognizing death when she sees it is a bit unusual.
Seriously, if they have a television, who knows how many deaths by shooting she's seen?
 
I don't think the elder sister should be charged at all. Everything she did can be directly attributed to the parents and brother.

Also is it just me or does mom look like she has a light version of Down's Syndrom? (Not meaning to insult anyone with Down's Syndrom, it's just the eyes....)
 
Seriously, if they have a television, who knows how many deaths by shooting she's seen?
Considering the rest of the story I would assume that this kid has seen and heard much worse at home.

Most of three year olds see things on t.v. and dont grasp the concept, thats why they usually all still need an explanation of death. When a three year olds grandma dies they dont know what that means because they saw shooting on tv. I still think its unusual for a child at three to see death and recognize it and be able to convey it on sight. I just think its telling that this particular three year old knows so much.:(
 
Why do I have the feeling that the 3 yo kid is the son of the 15yo girl?... This case goes beyond horror.
 
I'm glad that Florida got this one right, at least!


A 15-year-old north Florida girl who authorities say fatally shot her 16-year-old brother after years of abuse at home pleaded no contest on Thursday to felony burglary and will receive probation and counseling.

The girl's probation will last until her 19th birthday, and is contingent upon her participation in counseling, and testifying truthfully in the case of her parents, who face felony child abuse charges, Third Circuit State Attorney Jeff Siegmeister said.

'This child has the best chance at a normal adult life by receiving the therapy and education she needs and residing in the setting of her current foster home,' he said.
The girl and her 11-year-old sister were initially arrested on suspicion of murder after the January 5 shooting in Lake City. No charges were filed against the younger sister.

The names of the members of the family are not being released because of the girls' ages and because of abuse allegations.

On January 5, the girls and their three-year-old sister were left by their parents in the care of their brother. The parents were away on a work-related truck drive.

Police say the brother locked the elder sister in her room, but when he fell asleep, she persuaded the 11-year-old to let her out so she could shower.

The boy, 16, was killed by his sister, 15, on January 5 after she escaped the room her brother had locked her in and shot him in the neck

The older sister asked her younger sister to keep watch as she went outside and cut out the air conditioner of her parents' locked bedroom window to retrieve a pistol.

The girl asked her younger sister to take their three-year-old sister and hide in a closet before she shot her brother in the neck as he slept, police said.

The two older girls fled the house, leaving the toddler behind.

They were later found by police outside a Dollar General store after the younger girl called a friend saying she needed a ride.

Documents show that the elder girl suffered years of abuse, including being locked in her bedroom for days regularly with only a blanket and a bucket to use the bathroom.

The longest they kept the girl locked in her room was 20 consecutive days, the father told police.

In the room, police found only a blanket and a bucket filled with urine in the closet, allegedly a punishment because the teenage girl was stealing and talking back.

Letters from the parents asking her why she should be let out of that room were also found in the police investigation.

'It was learned that (the 15-year-old girl) has made past attempts at ending her life but neither law enforcement nor (emergency management services) was notified,' police wrote in their January report.

In addition, documents showed that she had been sexually abused by her uncle, who was convicted in 2010.
The uncle was arrested in December 2010 on sex charges after his wife found a USB with movie clips of him and the 15-year-old engaged in sexual acts. It had been going on for some time.

According to police documents, his wife reported seeing a video clip of the girl sitting down and a man with his penis out, standing behind her.

He then had oral sex with the underage girl, while she made noises, the wife told police.

The victim later told investigators that she did not want it to happen.

The uncle had told her to 'suck on his thingy' and that 'they were to be private and not to tell anyone no matter what'.

The abuse had been going on 'for a long time', according to the police report, and the videotaping for about a year.

The parents have been charged with child neglect and failing to supervise. The girls' mother told police that they often locked the 15-year-old girl up when she misbehaved

The uncle was convicted and is on the registered sex offender's list.

Authorities also said the children's mother had discovered the siblings having sex in 2011.

The mother reported to police that she heard noises coming from the bedroom and found the teenage boy having sex with his sister, who is a year younger.

The mother told police that she separated the siblings and asked them what happened.

The girl told her mother that she did not want to 'do it' with her brother but he put pressure on her. She also referenced the earlier abuse by her uncle.

After an investigation by child welfare officials, no one was charged.

Her parents had also removed her from school, documents show.

Siegmeister said all of the family's history and circumstances were taken into consideration in the decision not to pursue more serious criminal charges.

'This case is a tragedy to all those involved: the deceased, the two arrested children, as well as their 3-year-old sister who has been separated from them both. Further incarceration... serves no deterrent, rehabilitative nor other societal interest,' he said.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-imprisonment-sexual-abuse.html#ixzz3Tc9lG1hr
 
Fantastic sentence. Absolute nightmare of a case. I hope the parents have the fucking book thrown at them.
 
How do you get from being charged with murder in the shooting death of your brother to pleading no contest to felony burglary? I would think that her plea would have been to a manslaughter or even a weapon's charge but burglary? Weird.

Anyway, I think the sentence is the best for her, I don't think she evil, I think she's a mess and needs serious help and real love form parental figures. The "parents" they need a fucking cell, selfish assholes.
 
How is that possible?
I know, I thought the same thing! Then again, it couldn't have been a very thorough investigation, or those children would have been removed before that poor girl was so desperate to escape that place that she took out her brother/captor.
 
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