The Case of Bresha Meadows

15 Year Old Bresha Meadows

I recently came across the case of 15 year old Bresha Meadows, the Ohio girl accused of killing her father last July.  Bresha's case received international attention after she shot her father, whom multiple family members describe as an extremely violent man who abused his wife and their children for years.  After spending the last ten months in jail, Bresha accepted a plea deal today that will allow her to be transferred to a mental health facility, avoid further jail time and be eligible for release early next year.  

In too many cases, victims of domestic violence are punished for defending themselves and there are scores

of women currently serving long sentences for killing their abusers.   Many women who kill their abusive partners fear for their lives on a daily basis and retaliate in a last-ditch effort to save themselves or their children. Bresha's mother Brandi, recalled years of abuse witnessed by her children and the fear that one day her husband would kill them all:

"In the 17 years of our marriage, he has cut me, broke my ribs, fingers, the blood vessels in my hand, my mouth, blackened my eyes.  I believe my nose was broken," Brandi Meadows wrote. "If he finds us, I am 100 percent syre he will kill me and the children.  My life is like living in a box he created for me and if I stepped out of that box he was there to put me back in." ~ Bresha's Mother, Brandi Meadows  

Statistics show that an overwhelming majority of girls in the criminal justice system are exposed to, or victims of family violence, whether physical or sexual in nature.  These girls are then left with mental health issues that often go untreated, perpetuating a cycle of victimization, substance use and imprisonment that follows them into adulthood. Its a well known fact that childhood abuse begins a pathway that can lead to violence and incarceration and Bresha's case highlights an extreme example of the outcomes these girls could be facing.

Bresha's case also highlights the need for trauma-informed responses to "criminal" behaviors like running away and other coping mechanisms abused girls employ.  Our first response for these girls should not be arrest and incarceration, but interventions that begin to heal the wounds they are living with.  Although Bresha will be going home soon, she will no doubt require intensive therapy and support as she begins to restart her life.  It's up to us to make sure that these girls receive the support they need as they attempt to undo the effects of the trauma they have experienced.