Let's Talk About Ending Violence Against Women and Girls

She isn't a noted Harvard Professor, or a personal friend of the president, but what happened to a little girl in Phoenix is tragic and deserves our attention, too.

Four boys in Phoenix, ranging in age from 9 to 14, raped an eight year old girl. They lured her behind a shed with the promise of chewing gum, and then sexually assaulted her.

To make matters worse, the girl is now under the care of Child Protective Services in Arizona because her family has shunned her. They claim "she brought shame on the family."

Police Sgt. Andy Hill says the father "told the case worker and an officer in the girl's presence that he didn't want her back." The 14-year-old boy has been charged as an adult with two counts of sexual assault and kidnapping.

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office says the other boys ages 9, 10, and 13 were charged as juveniles with sexual assault. The 10- and 13-year-old boys also were charged with kidnapping.

Authorities cited the family's Liberian background, noting that in some parts of Africa, girls who are raped often are shunned by their families.

My sister had a better idea: "Let's shame the father for his treatment of his daughter."

In a Facebook post Margot Friedman asks: "When will we protect girls from sexual abuse? When will this issue be important enough to be raised at a presidential press conference? Where is the outrage? The national conversation?"

I'd like answers to those questions, too.