11 Year Old Crime Victim, Treated like Criminal
In Mille Lacs county, an 11 year old crime victim was taken to jail after failing to testify at a trial of his attacker.
Richard Meryhew of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune writes:
Tribal leaders for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe are asking state officials to investigate the handcuffing and shackling of an 11-year-old band member who was detained by police last month after he failed to appear in court to testify as a crime victim.
The boy, who had been assaulted by an older boy, was taken to Mille Lacs County jail April 10, kept overnight in a juvenile detention center and taken to the county courthouse the next morning handcuffed, shackled and wearing an orange jail jumpsuit.
The handling of this matter befuddles common sense. The police were within the letter of the law in Minnesota, but I am sure there are better ways of handling this situation.
The Mille Lacs band of Ojibwe is up in arms over the handling of this matter.
Should it really come to arresting and holding an 11 year old in jail?
Read the article and make your own judgements.
