Plea from rape victim's parents

Last update: October 9, 2005 - 11:00 PM

RAPE VICTIM'S PARENTS MAKE A HEARTFELT PLEA

This letter was written by the parents of a 12-year-old Hmong girl who was gang-raped to explain how it had changed her life. It was read into the record at the sentencing of a defendant. It has been edited for length and names have been removed.

Sept. 10, 2004

Dear Judge Flynn:

We are writing to you about what has happened to our family since [name deleted] was brutally gang raped by these evil gang members, including Blong Xiong.

[Name] was an A+ student. ... She wanted a career and had recently thought of becoming a police officer because of all the opportunities to help people. She also talked of finding the right man to marry and raise children of her own.

All of this changed a year ago when she was picked up from our home by people she trusted and thought were her friends. They took her to Saint Paul to what she thought was going to be a party. They drugged her and then forced themselves on her.

... When [name] came home from the hospital, she said she hates herself. She feels she is no longer worthy of her family. One of the first things she did was to go through our family album and cut out the pictures of herself. ... She knows that Hmong culture dictates that she is damaged goods and not worthy of any man for marriage. ...

She has become introverted. ... Her grades have turned to D's and F's. ...

[Name] can no longer sleep alone because of the nightmares about the rapes.

We try to give [name] extra protection now. We ask her not to go out alone at all and we ask her where she will be, with whom and when she will return. She thinks we are invasive and that we are blaming her for what has happened. But really, we just are praying that no more harm will come to her and that some day she will be whole again as she was before the attack by these depraved men.

... We feel that young Hmong gang members feel that they can get away with these predatory rapes because the victims will be too ashamed to report the crime. ...

Please, your honor, sentence Blong Xiong in a manner that will set an example to let other Hmong gang members [know] that there is a price to pay for stealing a life. ... He has not killed [name], but he has stolen her spirit and destroyed her life.

Sincerely,

[The letter is signed by her parents.]

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