The family of a 10-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by a 14-year-old classmate in a hallway at her South Side school last week said Wednesday they blame school officials for allowing the girl to leave a classroom with the boy.
”It should not have happened,” said the girl`s aunt, who asked that the family`s name not be used. ”When you leave your child in a school, you should not have to hear that something like this happened. This is a travesty.”
According to police, the girl was assaulted last Friday in a secluded hallway at O`Keefe Elementary School, 6940 S. Merrill Ave.
The family says school officials allowed the boy to take the girl out of her classroom by saying that another teacher wanted to see her, although the boy did not have a note to back that up and no messages had been transmitted on the public-address system.
A female kitchen worker saw the assault and ran for help, police said. The worker`s appearance gave the girl a chance to run to her classroom.
The boy was arrested at school and has been named in a juvenile petition for aggravated sexual assault, police said. He has been placed in the Audy Juvenile Home pending a court appearance.
In addition, the family is upset because, they say, the girl was not allowed to call them immediately after the rape occurred.
The girl is being kept out of school while her family tries to transfer her to a different school, her aunt said. ”We don`t want to send her back to the place where this occurred,” her aunt said.
”I wouldn`t want this to happen to my worst enemy`s child. To hear her say she doesn`t even want to look in a mirror, at her own self, because she`s ashamed-to me, that`s not something a 10-year-old should have to say to herself.”
The family has contacted a lawyer and is considering a suit. School officials could not be reached Wednesday because of the Lincoln`s birthday holiday.
The girl was treated at Wyler`s Children`s Hospital after the rape.
