Somali man sentenced to 8 years for molesting girl

[N.O.R.F]

Somali man sentenced to 8 years for molesting girl

 

The Associated PressPublished: April 6, 2007

 

FORT WAYNE, Indiana: A judge sentenced a Somali man to eight years in prison for molesting a Somali girl, saying the 13-year-old and her family have been shunned by the Somali community since the assault.

 

Judge Fran Gull said during Thursday's sentencing that "In their religion, the victim and her family have been shamed. His actions mean he killed her, yet she lives."

 

Omar Abdi Abshir, 21, pleaded guilty last month to one charge of child molesting, which carries a sentence of two to eight years. Other charges of rape, criminal deviate conduct, criminal confinement were dropped in the plea agreement.

 

Defense attorney Stephen Miller asked Gull to judge Abshir as an individual without a prior record and rather than by how the Somali community reacted, but Gull said it was impossible to separate those facts.

 

Deputy Prosecutor Stacey Speith said Abshir shared the girl's religion and culture, so he knew the consequences of his actions.

 

"He knew that virginity is a crucial aspect in their culture. If she loses it, whether it's consensual or forced upon her, as was in this case, she is to blame," Speith said.

 

Abshir is not a U.S. citizen, but has been in the country legally since 2000, when he was brought to the U.S. at age 14 as a refugee. He likely faces deportation after serving his sentence, which he said he would appeal.

 

The girl, who was 13, told police in August that Abshir threatened her with a knife and pinned her in a bathtub, where he raped her, according to court documents.

 

Fort Wayne is home to about 110 Somali immigrants, and the population is growing.

 

That community's reaction to the crime is consistent with how many African cultures would respond, said Chaplain Saneta Maiko, a Kenyan native with Crime Victim Care of Allen County. Maiko said it would have been very difficult for the girl's family to report the crime.

 

"Unfortunately, it can not only happen here, but it can happen back in the country where they come from," he said. "It's not easy, but I'm so glad they (reported it). Many others need to but don't."

 

source

[A.J. Timacadeh]

This ******* deserves the death sentence in my eyes. hopefully he will get what he has coming to him when they send him back home.

 

he has destroyed that young girls life and although i dont see why it should but this has tarnished her reputation. obviously we have the advantage of looking at it from both a somali viewpoint and a western viewpoint in that we know how westerners deal with this issue. I thin it is tragic that she somehow will bear much of the brunt of this tragedy.

 

May allah save her from further sufferings

 

Peace

[Taliban]

Originally posted by Northerner:

"He knew that virginity is a crucial aspect in their culture. If she loses it, whether it's consensual or forced upon her, as was in this case, she is to blame," Speith said.

Now, what kind of nonsense is this talk by Speith? Speith talks like she's an expert in Somali culture and traditions. She couldn't be more than wrong. Is virginity crucial to the majority of Somalis? I don't think so, at least with me. If it was forced upon her, would I blame the girl? Hell no! Would I consider marrying a girl who lost her virginity like the one in this report? Yes.

[A.J. Timacadeh]

Taliban,

 

Brother you seem to have your values and principles sorted out but it is true that in our culture this girl will now find it very difficult especially back home. i dont see why but sadly that is the way it is. she wont necesarily be blamed for the incident but the way in which is perceived and treated in her community will certainly change quite dramatically

 

What Speith said is an overstatement but this issue is still a controversial issue in our culture.