Solomon Pule’s mom returned to a horrifying scene after briefly leaving the room where he and his 8-year-old cousin were playing to put her 2-year-old son down for a nap. The Maryland mother noticed that both of her kids were “far too quiet,” but she had no idea it was for such a dreadful cause. When she returned to the room, both youngsters were half naked, and Solomon was raping his tiny cousin. The mom also noticed a pair of scissors next to them on the love seat.
The mom told officers she was upstairs putting her 2-year-old to bed and telling her son and 8-year-old niece to tidy up the living room. She returned downstairs to look at them after noticing it was too quiet. Pule had his trousers down, and her niece had her skirt up, when she discovered them on the love seat. A pair of scissors is nearby.
The 8-year-old girl told officers that her cousin had threatened to cut her with scissors if she made any noise. She also said he put his things inside her.
Solomon was arrested for rape after his mom reported the incident to Baltimore City Police. During questioning, the child acknowledged to raping his cousin. He was brought to the Baltimore City Detention Center and charged with first- and second-degree rape. Authorities have verified that he would be prosecuted as an adult, which implies he may be imprisoned for the rest of his life.
A juvenile between the ages of 14 and 18 can be prosecuted as an adult in Maryland on the provision that an adult who committed the same crime would face death or life in prison. Maryland law also enables juveniles aged 16 and up to be prosecuted as adults for abduction, kidnapping, murder, rape, robbery, and firearms offences. Although it is still unusual for a young adolescent to be prosecuted as an adult, those who are convicted as adults are sentenced to adult prison. Furthermore, the crime is added to the teen’s public criminal record.
Young offenders occur on a regular basis here, said Adam Rosenberg, Executive Director of the Baltimore Child Abuse Center. In 2013, they observed 155 cases where the culprit was between the ages of nine and fourteen, he said.
Rosenberg went on to say that if kids who have been sexually abused are not treated properly, they are considerably more likely to become abusers. Counseling is an important step for both the victim and the perpetrator.
Unfortunately, the Baltimore Child Abuse Center sees more kids under the age of six than any other age group. This is primarily due to the fact that young kids are the most fragile; many of them are unable to fight back or speak out when mistreated by someone older and more powerful.
No one’s really willing to put kids in treatment, and yet it’s one of the finest things that they can do to truly avoid awful future scenarios from occurring, Rosenberg said, hinting that parents are often hesitant to enroll their kids in essential counseling once abuse is uncovered. This might have serious ramifications in the future.
The Solomon Pule case is heartbreaking for everyone concerned. Pule is also a victim to some extent. His acts suggest that he was subjected to sex and violence at home or elsewhere, which led him to conduct a heinous crime against his own relative. She will never be the same again after having her innocence snatched at such a young age. Certainly, this awful tragedy will haunt this family for the rest of their lives, and the kids will bear the brunt of the pain.
