The four girls - aged 13 to 15 - were charged with aggravated battery and mob action charges, Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. The juvenile offenders may face other charges as the investigation remains ongoing.
The arrests and charges come only days after a 15-year-old girl with special needs fell prey to what police, according to Chicago 5, described as “sick and disgusting crimes.”
In the video, several young females approach the seemingly unsuspecting victim and start hitting her while bystanders laugh.
Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said on Thursday that the “victim knew her attackers and the video gave me the sense that she felt she was among friends.” He added that “it broke my heart to see this group of people turn on her and escalate into what we saw.”
Parents of the perpetrators told the court that their families have received numerous threats following the incident. Prosecutors consequently asked for the accused to be held in a juvenile detention centre for their own safety.
One of the attackers aplologised for the incident in another video that surfaced on social media last Wednesday.
