The case of Cyntoia Brown

[Heyyyho]

Has anyone come across this case before? She was a child who was horribly abused and ended up murdering a man who put her in an abusive situation in self defence. To say Prostitute and client feels completely out of place in this context.

There are no words at the moment that I can express after watching this that describe how heartbreaking this girl's life story and history is. But I feel her case is somehow a feminist issue. I hope it's ok to post a link to share it

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01hrdvk/The_16YearOld_Killer_Cyntoias_Story/

[scottishmummy]

good grief,how bloody sad
wasn't aware of this dreadful situation

[SugarBatty]

Iv recorded this so will watch it and then come back and comment. I'd never heard of her though, was it a big story at the time it happened?

[ThePathanKhansWitch]

Documentary on tv a few nights ago, very sad and shocking. Despite being an abused child, she was never seen as a victim, awful and the behaviour of the Police reprehensible.

[Heyyyho]

No it wasn't a big story in the sense you would imagine. It's actually horrifying that it hasn't been more publicised. She was a child, just a child when it happened and a horribly abused one at that. She is now a strong and intelligent Woman coming to terms with what happened to her. They gave her no leniency whatsoever despite her history and highly mitigating circs of the crime. She didn't even understand what "you have the right to remain silent" meant...

I am really affected by her story and the utter injustice of it all really

[LowFlyingBirds]

She was a prostitute, he was a client.

Hers is a very salient story when thinking about the reason many young girls end up in prostitution. His story is a strong example of a man who buys sex and further exploits an already exploited girl just so he can have sex.

But none of that really has any bearing on the murder, of course you can analyse how her history (and his use of her as a prostitute) led to that point but in terms of the crime it seems pretty straight forward. She may well have felt uncomfortable around him but he did nothing to justify being shot ( not that i feel any pity, he was willing to have sex with a 16yo prostitute, i doubt the world is missing much without him in it).

I wonder though, had the murder happened in florida would she have been given the same benefit of the doubt as George Zimmerman who killed Trayvon Martin? - Obviously he was eventually arrested but only after public outcry- I very much doubt it.

[allthegoodnamesweretaken]

Nobody was asking for her to be let off Low, but there was a choice to try her as an adult or a minor, and despite her clearly being immature it was decided she should be tried as an adult. Now she is facing a life in prison for something she did in a blind panic as a child, when she could have been rehabilitated and given a second chance at life in a juvenile detention centre.

[Heyyyho]

Yes exactly. She was tried as an adult which was incomprehensible really.
And I still find the description of her as a " prostitute" completely misleading. She was beaten and raped by her boyfriend who turfed her out onto the streets to make some money to give to him. At 16 years of age.

[Krumbum]

52 years in prison is terrible. What will happen when she gets out? Her life will be ruined, if anything is going to make somebody reoffend then that will. I don't understand why she wasn't sent to a juvenile detention centre, she was 15 when it happened so very much a child. She spoke of people by name who raped her, why are these people not being charged. Why is it not taken into account that the man who was killed was a pedophile who was abusing her? This should have been taken as self defence/manslaughter and she should have been treated like a child which she was.

[Heyyyho]

I know krum. The " client" was an abusive pedophile but where was that taken into account?

[SugarBatty]

Just watched it and I'm in tears. She should have been tries as a child. She wasn't a prostitute she was a sexually abused child forced to go out and make money because of a very real threat by a pimp. I hope if this was in the uk the outcome would be different.

[KRITIQ]

I haven't seen the programme, but have read bits about this story on line. There appear to be racial and class dimensions to the case (i.e. the man she killed was white, an estate agent, church volunteer and had some status in the community, she was mixed heritage, poor and considered to be of the "underclass.")

Having grown up in America, it's my view that there tends to be more of a "black or white" (no pun intended actually!) view of crime and punishment, which is reflected in jury decisions and in public responses to crime. There also tends to be less sympathy or understanding for factors that may have impacted on either perpetrators or victims of crime (e.g. previous abuse, neglect, mental ill-health, etc.) particularly if the person isn't "seen" to be a "good person," (e.g. not the right, class, ethnicity, morality, religion, social status, etc.)

In this case, I've read alot of comments where people have no truck with anything that may have happened in Cyntoia's past that could have contributed to her actions or the issue of being sentenced as an adult for a crime committed as a minor. They see it only as one person killing another in "cold blood" so they should receive the maximum penalty for the crime. They simply aren't interested in any "complicating factors," imho, because that wouldn't square with their very simplistic world view that everything is absolute, right or wrong with now in between.

Generally, that simplistic view tends to be sexist, racist, homophobic, classist, disablist, etc. as well of course.

[Najmah]

V sad indeed. She has an appeal pending and has high power lawyers representing her now for free after they heard about the story. She should know whether she will be released this year!

If anyone wants to write to her, I have her contact details and I am told she appreciates every letter and writes back!

[Heyyyho]

Can you PM me please Najmah? I would love to write to her

[allthegoodnamesweretaken]

Me too please Najmah, I've actually been trying to find an adress for her since I watched this

[LineRunner]

Please, I would write, too. Or send something she might need (and is allowed).

[Memoo]

I would very much like her address too, please.

[scottishmummy]

please pm me the address
tia

[ThatGhastlyWoman]

This is worth a read.

[Najmah]

Having few issues with pc I have sent one person the address details and have asked them to forward to anyone who has asked for it. If you don't get this weekend I will pm you the address on Monday.

Have a fab weekend

[ThatGhastlyWoman]

I'd like the address, if it can be forwarded to me too, please. :)

[sashh]

There is more here, apparently he had raped another woman.

www.nashvillescene.com/gyrobase/for-a-teens-impulsive-unthinkable-act-cyntoia-brown-got-an-adults-life-sentence-was-justice-served/Content?oid=2268809&storyPage=4

[sashh]

Petition for a retrial

www.change.org/petitions/cyntoia-brown-get-cyntoia-brown-a-re-trial#

[allthegoodnamesweretaken]

I'm going to repost that petition as it's own thread to make sure more people are aware of it sashh.

[OhDoAdmitMrsDeVere]

May I have the address please.

[Najmah]

Ha! The irony of it @OhDoAdmitMrsDeVere