(Photo : Kaylee Gain via Facebook)
The family of a teenager accused of a brutal attack that resulted in 16-year-old Kaylee Gain suffering from brain damage is claiming that she is the "real victim."
Efforts are underway to collect $150,000 to support the girl's legal defense, with claims that she experienced "harassment and bullying" leading up to the incident.
Kaylee Gain's Attacker Defends Brutal Assault
A young girl named Kaylee Gain from St Louis, Missouri suffered a severe injury to her skull and brain following an incident that occurred on March 8 near her school.
"The full scope and extent of Kaylee's injuries and prognosis for recovery cannot be determined until, with God's grace, she regains consciousness, and the family asks that you continue to keep Kaylee in your thoughts and prayers as she continues to recover," said Bryan Kaemmerer, Kaylee Gain's family attorney, in a statement issued on Monday.
The video of the incident that captured Kaylee's head being forcefully struck against the concrete quickly gained widespread attention.
A 15-year-old girl, whose identity remains undisclosed, has been taken into custody and is facing charges of assault. On the other hand, the family of the girl involved in the incident claims that she is the true victim and they are rejecting the demands for her to face adult charges.
They assert that she was not engaging in bullying behavior towards Kaylee and are actively raising funds to support her legal defense.
According to her auntie, the teenager was simply "defending herself" during the assault with Kaylee, Daily Mail reported. They are asserting that the situation is not as it appears and have requested financial assistance.
A young girl is facing allegations of a severe assault and is currently being held by the St. Louis Family Court. A hearing has been scheduled for early April. According to her family, she is an exceptional student who experienced "harassment and bullying" prior to the altercation.
Petition Made for Missouri Teen Who attacked Kaylee Gain
The original fundraising page for Kaylee Gain's attacker was removed and they have since launched a Change.org petition.
The petition urges the St Louis Juvenile Court to demonstrate "compassion" towards the schoolgirl, who they believe was unjustly portrayed as a bully in a situation that they describe as "complex."
Their GoFundMe page was removed by the platform due to its policy against fundraising for the legal defense of a crime involving violence. The statement on the petition states that prior to an incident on March 8th, the individual had never been involved in any trouble. The incident in question involved her defending herself from harassment and bullying.
The petition also highlights that the family has endured racial abuse following the incident. The petition is directed towards Chief Juvenile Officer Rick Gaines and requires 500 signatures to bring the matter to his attention. By Thursday morning, the number of signatures had reached 502.
Based on a video circulating on social media, it seems that the girl in question forcefully struck Kaylee's head against the concrete following a series of punches, resulting in her falling to the ground. Kaylee appeared to experience a seizure amidst a chaotic scene where groups of teenagers were engaged in a physical altercation nearby.
Authorities discovered the young girl with a severe head injury in close proximity to the intersection of Norgate Drive and Claudine Drive, which is just a short distance away from the high school campus. The individual was transported to the hospital and is currently in a critical state.
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