12-year-old Logansport girl accused of torturing

Kirsten Adair, Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, Ind.
·2 min read

Mar. 2—A 12-year-old Logansport girl was accused of committing three felony offenses and a misdemeanor this weekend after she allegedly tortured another child at a slumber party.

The 12-year old girl and another girl allegedly burned the 12-year-old victim with lighters, sat on her so she could not breathe, confined her, and shaved part of the victim's head, among other acts, according to a report by Fox 59 in Indianapolis.

Cass County Prosecutor Noah Schafer confirmed that one of the perpetrators has been accused of criminal confinement, a Level 3 felony; intimidation, a Level 5 felony; battery resulting in serious bodily injury, a Level 5 felony; and battery resulting in bodily injury, a Class A misdemeanor.

Schafer said the perpetrator has not been charged with felonies due to her age but is still accused of committing the crimes.

"You can't say that a child is charged with a crime the same way you would with an adult," Schafer said. "They are alleged to have committed acts that, had they been committed by an adult, would have been felonies."

Even though the criminal justice process is different for juveniles, there are a wide array of options if it is proven that a child committed a felony offense. Schafer said those options can range from probation to time in a juvenile corrections facility, but almost all options are geared toward rehabilitation.

Despite the accusations, the slumber party incident is still under investigation. Coleman Beckley, Cass County Juvenile Court Prosecutor, could not be specific about the case. However, he was able to say that actions taken in juvenile cases depend on a variety of factors.

"Each child is different," Beckley said. "We try to address the needs of each particular child, whether that's through probation or more intensive programming or through a placement. It also depends on things like how many run-ins with the juvenile justice system the child has had previously, the nature of the offense, and whether or not it involves hurting somebody else."

This story will be updated.