Tragedy in the Making

I was in court, yesterday with a young man who has been detained for several weeks awaiting trial on a violent crime. When I arrived, a heavy set, provocatively dressed young “lady” was hanging all over him in the courthouse waiting area. She wore a peasant dress-type outfit that was not stitched up in the front. She was flashing a black bra and amazingly lovely cleavage, especially given that she was grossly overweight. She sported a VERY large spare tire that was decidedly unattractive. She did not appear to possess much muscle tone which was really sad, given that she was only 14 years old. Her hair was stringy and bleached blond and whoever did it, did a poor job of it. Without meaning to be unkind, I have to say that she looked like stereotypical trailer trash. I cannot believe a mother would allow that young lady out of the house looking that way. She looked and acted, and I don’t like to say this about a child, like a slut.

I told the mother of my ward that if she didn’t want to be a grandmother, right away, that she needed to make sure those two didn’t have time, alone. And I mean 2 minutes. The mother just laughed and said she didn’t have anything to worry about.

My ward’s mother clearly had no objection to the way the girl was hanging all over her 13 year old son (who could easily pass for 17). I sat with them for two hours and not once did the mother show any distress at the girl's or her son's behavior. She didn't even comment on it. At various times, the girl reclined on her back on the waiting room benches, arms outstretched over her head. Sometimes she lay on her belly, large rump shoved up provocatively. The waiting area was crowded so a number of people had to stand since she was taking up space. At other times, she lay with her head in my ward’s lap. Finally, I told her sharply to sit up because that was not the way to behave in court. “WHY?” she asked, with a sulky glare (but she sat up). “Because the bailiffs don’t like it and neither do the attorneys,” I told her. Of course, it doesn’t matter that the attorneys don’t like it but she didn’t know that and it WAS true. She and my ward sat hand in hand, thighs pressed together, while his defense counsel explained various strategies and plea offers. I was astonished that a 14 year old girl was privy to these types of discussions when the mother was left out. The mother was fine with that.

The girl tried to accompany us into the courtroom to watch the trial. “You have to stay out here,” I told her, more abruptly than I needed to. The bailiff concurred because minors aren't allowed inside. She wasn’t happy with me, at all.

After the trial, I asked her, point blank, why she wasn’t in school. She glowered and claimed that her mother let her take the day off to go to court. "You need to be in school, Sweetie - it is important," I told her. Her eyes glazed over but she was respectful enough to not roll her eyes. In truth, she was NOT a verbally rude child -she wasn't argumentative or belligerent.

What a tragedy. At this point, the poor kid has next to nothing going for her and is clearly starved for any attention she can get. My ward is an exceptionally handsome young man - traffic stopping handsome - and there is no doubt in my mind that he cares nothing for this young girl beyond the obvious. When I see a young girl acting provocatively like this, the question of whether she has been abused in the past is never far from my mind. It is just so frustrating. The girl clearly does not know how to behave and that is such a disservice to her. She will end up pregnant, her heart bruised, or both, in short order if it hasn’t already happened. I hope a relative or SOMEONE steps in before it is too late. Whoever is “raising” this child should be horsewhipped. She deserves better.