Three minors in Ohio are now facing serious charges following allegations that they sexually assaulted and attempted to murder a 5-year-old child in an incident last month.

The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office reports that this disturbing event took place on September 13 in Cleveland, specifically in a field located near East 148th Street and St. Clair Avenue.

According to CrimeOnline, when authorities arrived at the scene, they discovered the young victim unclothed and curled up in a fetal position behind the Collinwood Athletic Complex.

“The sheer brutality and violence of this case is something we’ve not encountered before,” remarked Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley in an interview with cleveland.com.

The girl’s mother shared via social media that her daughter had endured scalping, assault, and a severe beating after she left her with a family member.

News 19 reports that the mother said the victim walked out of the front door on the day in question, and when she saw her again, her daughter had been so badly beaten that she was unrecognizable.

“What I saw was unbelievable,” she said. “My daughter was not my daughter. Her hair was scalped from her head. She had bruises and blood all over her body. Her eyes were filled with blood. Her lips and mouth were filled with blood. Her nails had debris and dirt in it.”

Several other children reportedly told police that a 10-year-old girl led the 5-year-old to the field, where she hit the victim with a rock and undressed her. The children then sexually assaulted her.

One of the witnesses told police that the defendants urinated on the 5-year-old and ripped one of her braids out.

First responders took the victim to the Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, where she reportedly remained for several days.

The Cleveland Division of Police said on Facebook that “due to the sensitive nature of this case,” additional information will not be released at this time.

The defendants will be summoned to Cleveland’s Juvenile Court. There is currently no juvenile facility in the city for children under 12 years of age.

Cleveland City Council Safety Committee Chairman Michael Polensek is now calling for a thorough investigation of the defendants’ parents, through the county’s social services agencies.

“I’m asking myself as a parent, if kids are performing and committing these types of acts, I want to know what kind of environment they’re living in,” Cleveland City Council Safety Committee Chairman Michael Polensek said.

Check back for updates.

[Feature Photo: Pixabay]