A heartbroken mother has opened up after two of her children were brutally beaten while traveling home on a school bus in Florida – after the footage shocked the US.
Jenni, 30, has said she wants ‘justice to be done’ after her daughter, 9, and son, 10, were both violently assaulted a few weeks apart.
The schoolgirl was beaten by a 15-year-old boy who rained down multiple punches on her head in the sickening footage on February 1.
None of their fellow students at the Coconut Palm K-8 Academy in Homestead, Florida, intervened in the attack – which was filmed by another pupil.
DailyMail.com can now reveal that her son was attacked just a week before in an identical incident which saw another boy continually punch him in the head as it was filmed.
He tried to stand up for his little sister after she was targeted in the cafeteria on the same day she was attacked – with the tormentors bullying the siblings because they were new to the school.
DailyMail.com can now reveal that her son was attacked just a week before in an identical incident which saw another boy continually punch him in the head as it was filmed.
Jenni (center) told DailyMail.com that the family had been homeless for several weeks after loss of jobs caused them financial difficulties, and set up a GoFundMe for help, meaning they had only recently been able to secure a new apartment close to the school
Jenni told DailyMail.com that the family had been homeless for several weeks after the loss of jobs caused them financial difficulties, and set up a GoFundMe for help, meaning they had only recently been able to secure a new apartment close to the school.
So far, it has raised $6,280 of their $2,000 goal, with the mother-of-four saying she is ‘so grateful’ for the donations, adding it will help to get the children’s ‘virtual learning set up’.
The family has also been supported by Miami artists El Micha and El Chacal, who have pledged to pay for a private bus to take the kids to school as well as three months’ rent.
Jenni enrolled her eldest three children into the school on January 9 and said that they had ‘nothing but problems’ since they started.
She said: ‘We have had to get my daughter another appointment with the concussion department, but it is a real struggle because they are booked for the year.
‘She has had constant headaches, a lot of nausea. She is not herself and she is not sleeping a lot which could be linked back to the emotional trauma she has suffered.
‘It’s all very overwhelming. We are going into this situation from one where we were homeless, and we were finally able to get into a place and transition the kids into school.
‘We have been there just a little more than a month, and this is just devastating. My husband has been forced to miss work and he doesn’t get PTO but he obviously wants to be there for our kids.
The mother-of-four enrolled her eldest three children into the school on January 9 and said that they had ‘nothing but problems’ since they started
Images show the injuries the little girl was left with, as red marks and bruises covered her skin and head
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle yesterday ruled that the school’s police officer giving the boy a civil citation was ‘not enough.’
She issued a criminal battery charge against the teenager in the juvenile courts, as images show the injuries the little girl was left with, as red marks and bruises covered the skin on her torso and head.
Her brother was also left with marks on her head after being attacked twice, once the week before his sister and then a second attack the same day as his sister.
Jenni added: ‘As a mother, I feel for them. Their own child is facing charges, but a lesson has to be learned and responsibility has to be taken.
‘My daughter has so much life left to live, for this to happen to her. Justice does need to be served because this happened to both of my children. We are hoping that people can learn a lesson from this worldwide.’
The family have not been informed of the name of the teenager who attacked their daughter, nor have the family reached out to them.
Jenni, 30, (center) has said she wants ‘justice to be done’ after her daughter, 9, and son, 10, were both violently assaulted a few weeks apart
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle yesterday ruled that the school’s police officer giving the boy a civil citation was ‘not enough’
She issued a criminal battery charge against the teenager in the juvenile courts, as images show the injuries the little girl was left with, as red marks and bruises covered the skin on her torso and head
Jenni says that prior to the incident on the bus with her daughter, the younger brother of the teenager had been tormenting her nine-year-old.
Her brother then stepped in to stop the incident, and got in a physical altercation in the cafeteria which was broken up by staff.
The mother says that she was informed of this by the school but was unable to collect the children because her husband had the car for work.
It meant that the children had to get on the bus home, with the fight spilling over resulting in the brutal attack which was filmed by other children.
Jenni added: ‘It is very sad how we have just overcome one thing, and another thing like this comes up right away.
‘We are just here trying to be a happy family. Despite everything that is what the kids deserve.’
Artists El Micha and El Chacal were both appalled by the video footage after seeing it online, and got in contact with the family to see how they could help.
Artists El Micha and El Chacal were both appalled by the video footage after seeing it online, and got in contact with the family to see how they could help
None of her fellow students at the Coconut Palm K-8 Academy in Homestead, Florida, intervened in the attack
They have since paid the families rent for the next three months upfront, as well as donating a number of new toys and items to the children after the awful incident
They have since paid the families rent for the next three months upfront, as well as donating a number of new toys and items to the children after the awful incident.
Jenni said that she was ‘so thankful’ for what the two artists have done for the family, saying it is ‘unfortunate that something bad to happen for something good to come of it.’
Speaking to DailyMail.com their manager Diego Vizcon added: ‘One of the artist kids themselves were bullied because they came from Cuba and they didn’t speak the language.
‘We just wanted to give them our support using our platform and really make people notice of what’s going on.
‘Kids go to school to learn; they shouldn’t be scared to go. And we want to try to help and think of ways that we can diminish the bullying.
‘It starts at home, and we want to get involved with certain leaders of the community to make sure changes are made.
Her brother then stepped in to stop the incident, and got in a physical altercation in the cafeteria which was broken up by staff
The mother says that she was informed of this by the school but was unable to collect the children because her husband had the car for work
‘They should not be putting kids that are in the third grade on the same bus as eight graders, I think that’s an issue and the kids don’t have the same mindset.
‘We want to support this family, and follow up with the school to help with the transition of the kids back into education when they can.
‘As part of that we have offered them a private bus service to school for two years, to help with the emotional support.
‘They don’t need in the back of their mind the financial hardship, and we want to help get the kids back in school and back to normal.’
Both El Micha and El Chacal are working on a single for a song against bullying, and will produce a video so people can ‘really get the message’.
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