PHOENIX -- The foster mother of a 9-year-old boy accused in the gang-rape of an 8-year-old Liberian girl testified Tuesday that the boy is flourishing in her home and is so happy there that he sings all the time.
The foster mother's testimony came under questioning by the prosecution, which is trying to prove that the boy can be rendered competent to stand trial. Her testimony stood in sharp contrast to that of the boy's schoolteacher, who said in court Monday that he often got into fights with other students, got poor grades and was a frequent disruption to his class.
The foster mother, whose identity was not released, said that the boy is the one who reminds her to call his probation officer when they leave the house, charges the electronic monitoring device he wears on his ankle by himself, and hasn't given her any trouble in the nearly two months he's been in her home.
"He's blending into the home like he's been there all the time," the foster mother said, adding that she believes the boy is happy with her. "He shows it. He sings all the time."
Police say the 9-year-old, who had been living with his aunt in west Phoenix, and three other boys ages 9 to 14 lured the girl to a storage shed July 16 and took turns raping her. All the children are refugees from the West African nation of Liberia.
The case sparked an international outcry after police reported the girl's father said she brought shame on the family and he didn't want her back -- comments a family pastor later said were misunderstood because of a language barrier.
State child welfare officials have custody of the girl, and police are recommending neglect charges against her parents.
Testimony on Monday and Tuesday were designed to help Judge Dawn Bergin decide if one of the 9-year-olds charged in the rape is competent to stand trial. Two mental-health experts found that he is not, and Bergin must listen to testimony from them and others before she makes a decision at the next hearing on Nov. 18.
The foster mother said Tuesday that the boy does all his chores without being asked, speaks English well and even beats her at the board game Monopoly.
The woman said she has fostered between 25 and 30 children in the past 20 years and has been trained to handle children with behavioral problems. The boy lives in her home with another foster child, a 12-year-old boy; the foster mother said the two boys have grown close.
Toya Abrams, the boy's second-grade teacher, testified Monday that the boy's family never attended his parent-teacher conferences or signed his homework and that she was concerned about his home environment.
A 14-year-old is charged as an adult in the case. A 13-year-old is undergoing a court-ordered process intended to make him competent to stand trial. Another 9-year-old has been ruled incompetent but is undergoing classes to teach him about the court system and become competent to stand trial.
