JERSEYVILLE - A local mother is asking the community for help after an alleged “attack” that targeted her daughter.
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Anna Willis explained that her 18-year-old daughter Kenzi was driving in Jerseyville when her car broke down and three teenage boys approached. According to Willis, Kenzi was beaten, hit with a belt, sprayed with urine from a water gun, “and humiliated and forced to apologize while the attack continued.”
“She was trapped, scared and unable to get away,” Willis wrote.
Kenzi’s phone was “knocked out of her hands,” leaving her unable to call for help.
A video circulating on social media has since been deleted but allegedly contains footage of the attack, recorded by one of the teenage boys. Willis called the video “sickening” and noted that she “cannot put into words what it feels like to watch your child go through something like this.”
She added that the family is seeking legal representation. The money raised through the GoFundMe will also pay for related medical expenses. Willis said any extra money will go toward buying a car so Kenzi will have reliable transportation “so that she is not left stranded and vulnerable like this again.”
“My daughter is 18,” Willis said. “She should be thinking about her future, her independence and her life — not trying to process something this traumatic. We want her to know that she is not alone. We want her to know that what happened to her matters. And most importantly, we want her to feel safe again.”
Willis also issued a call to the community, urging parents to “teach compassion and empathy instead of hate.”
“We have to do better as a community. This CANNOT and WILL NOT keep happening!” Willis wrote. “Jerseyville and the community need to do better for our children.”
To access the GoFundMe, click here.
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