Today marks the one-year anniversary of a teenager’s brutal beating that left the victim brain-damaged. The vicious assault happened in front of Deerfield Middle School where the girl was a student.
On March 17, 2010, the 15-year-old girl was suddenly attacked by another student of Deerfield Middle School. The girl said she barely knew the student, but the attacker threw her to the ground and repeatedly kicked her with his steel toed boots.
The South Florida teen was almost killed in the incident. Because she had been kicked so many times before a teacher was able to pry the attacker away from the victim, the girl was left brain-damaged. The teen had to be airlifted to a local hospital and was placed in a medically induced coma so that doctors could perform surgeries to help reduce brain swelling. It was months before the girl was able to return to her home. After returning home, the girl continued to receive treatment and had to re-learn basic skills.
The motive for the attack is unclear, but some have reported that the assault was provoked by text messages. The attacker charged for beating the girl was tried as an adult and he could be sentenced a maximum of 50 years in prison for premeditated murder.
The family recently decided to sue the Broward County School District for last year’s attack. They are accusing the district of not providing enough protection for students and believe the attack could have been prevented. Victims and family members of victims who suffered serious injuries in an attack could seek compensation for damages in an attack that happened on someone else’s property. Places like schools, stores, hotels and other properties are required to provide adequate security for those who have a right to be on the property. Negligent security can put the lives of others in danger and make patrons vulnerable to attacks that should be prevented.
Sources:WSVN: “Anniversary of teen beaten at school,” 17 Mar. 2011
WSVN: “Beaten teen to head home for rehab,” 5 May 2011