A 15-year-old Illinois girl had been missing for five days before she was attacked by a group of teens in a video that went viral on social media, according to reports.
Citing police, the Chicago Tribune reported that a “concerned citizen” and her father spotted the missing girl and took her to the Harrison District police station on Tuesday. She was reportedly released from the hospital and went with her father the following day.
The video, which was posted to Twitter on Monday, showed the 15-year-old walking when one girl punched her from behind, causing the teen to emit a high-pitched scream. Seconds later, multiple people are seen rushing and punching the crying teen before someone—who was seen partaking in the attack—helped her up as the group dispersed.
***WARNING: The video below contains violence. Please use discretion.***
These girls jumped my friend Janise Harris who has a mental disability that has been progressing since the passing of her mother, I know this won’t blow up since I’m a small account but please, share and rt! I want justice for my friend, she didn’t deserve any of this. pic.twitter.com/yq3OkOlTkq
— 𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐚 *+🧚🏽♂️ (@D4MURE) July 23, 2019
Chicago Police Department spokesperson officer Jose Jara confirmed to reporters Wednesday that the victim’s attackers were people she knew. Community activist Stringer Harris, who spoke during the news conference, described the assailants as six teens, five girls and one boy, who are between the ages of 15 and 18, according to WGN.
Harris reportedly stated that the victim has an undisclosed mental illness. Police revealed that she was possibly sexually assaulted during her five-day disappearance, with Harris claiming the group was taking her to a “guy to have relations with” when she refused, prompting the assault, according to CBS News.
“The victim was discovered to be a victim of some sick and disgusting crimes,” Jara commented. “It’s very concerning and disgusting that the victim’s so-called friends would eventually be the offenders in these incidents.”
Since the video went viral, one of her attackers reportedly took to social media to apologize and reveal she’s receiving death threats as the footage circulates online.
No arrests had been made as of Wednesday.
“Due to the unique circumstances and the sensitive nature of these crimes involved, the interview process and the task of verifying the facts of this case is going to take some time,” Jara explained. “Remember, we are talking about a span of several days.”
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[Featured image: Twitter video screengrab]
