▲Piper Lewis (17)


A US state court in Iowa has suspended a severe sentence for a teenager charged with the murder of a man who sexually assaulted him multiple times.



According to foreign media such as CNN and The Guardian on the 14th local time, the Polk County state court in Iowa gave Piper Lewis (17), who was charged with murder, $150,000 in compensation to the victim's family and 5 probation. year, and ordered 200 hours of community service.



However, the sentence was suspended for up to 20 years in prison.

In the case of a suspended sentence, if the sentence is withheld and the grace period is passed without any problems, the prosecution is exempted and no criminal record is left.



Lewis pleaded guilty to the murder of Zachary Brooks, then 37, on June 1, 2020, through a plea bargain in June last year.



In 2020, then 15, Lewis ran away from an abusive family and met a man who asked him to make money by prostitution with men he met through a chat app.



Lewis, who met Brooks along the way, claimed that he had sexually assaulted her several times when he lost consciousness after forcing him to drink and smoke marijuana.



Afterwards, Lewis could not overcome the coercion and met Brooks again, and he explained that he had stabbed Brooks while he was asleep more than 30 times when he sexually assaulted him.



Lewis, who was eventually brought to court, said, "I feel sympathy for Brooks' family. I hope that what happened that day didn't happen."



A local court has since suspended the sentence for imprisonment, but ordered the payment of at least $150,000 to Brooks' family under state law that requires compensation to be paid to the bereaved family if the murder is committed. I did.


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▲ Lewis's restitution fundraising site posted by Leland Cipe.


 "We are thrilled with the judge's decision," said Lewis's attorney.



Leland Cife, Lewis's schoolteacher, started a fundraising campaign to help solve the problem of Louis' compensation, which now stands at $440,000. 



Cife, who conducted her fundraising, said, "After paying the reparations (to Brooks' bereaved family), the remaining money will be used to support Louise's education expenses in the future."



Meanwhile, an activist from a civic group against sexual violence in Iowa expressed concern over the court's decision.



"It's not the worst decision, but it's far from the best," the activist said, arguing that an Iowa law that requires unconditional reparations to be paid to perpetrators regardless of the motive for the murder needs to be discussed.