Phoebe Prince and her Abusers
Oh another day and Phoebe Prince is once again back in the news. This time it involves her school abusers. Kayla Narey and Sean Mulveyhill were sentenced last Wednesday as adults and pled guilty avoiding a jury trial. They both are on probation for a year and have to do 100 hours of community service. Ashley Longe, Flannery Mullins and Sharon Chanon Velazquez were sentenced at Franklin-Hampshire Juvenile Court where they received sentences of probation, violation of civil rights and disturbing school assembly.
Anne O’Brien, mother of Phoebe Prince left an impact statement in court with Mulveyhill and Narey. She stated that “Mulveyhills behavior towards her daughter was predatory” and that “Narey is not capable of compassion.” However, she did praise Longe for “the accountability and genuine remorse we have been asking for since the 14th of January 2010.” I give this woman props as she is seeing what I have seen in these kids since this case opened in 2010. I don’t even know them personally but, know of them from the media.
Despite this case being over and punishments have been handed out, I have a few things to say. First off, Phoebe Prince and Tyler Clementi did not alert society to a crisis amongst us as one article stated. This crisis has been just that; a crisis for as long as I have been alive. I talk to adults daily from 18-70 years old who survived this abuse and are living to talk about it. I was a teen in crisis back in the 1980s only to be scorned and ridiculed when I was going through this. The stories of survivors are unbelievable and scars still exist. These adults were also in crisis but, nobody wanted to listen. True, Phoebe and Tyler opened some eyes because the media focused on them so much. However, their stories are not unique and are not the only ones out there when it comes to suicide due to this abuse. It’s the fact the media has only focused on these particular stories and not opened an eye to any others. True, not all make the wires but, why do we focus on these particular kids? For a year my email was full of stories and opinions of Phoebe Prince. Why focus on this one child?
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