Girl, 7, Survived Being Kidnapped, Raped, Strangled and Thrown Off Bridge. Now She’s Facing Her Alleged Attacker in Court

NEED TO KNOW

• A girl who was kidnapped, raped, strangled, had a bag placed over her head and was wrapped in a blanket before being thrown off a bridge testified in court this week

• Her alleged attacker Joshua Hubert is only now on trial for the 2017 attack after rape charges were added in 2022 when the young girl learned the concept of sexual assault

• Now 15, she testified that she survived the attack and swam over 100 yards to safety after playing dead

A Massachusetts girl took the stand this week to testify against a family friend accused of subjecting her to multiple acts of unthinkable violence.

The victim in the case was just 7 years old when she was kidnapped, raped, strangled, stuffed in the trunk of a car and then thrown off a bridge after being wrapped in a blanket and having a bag tied over her head, according to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.

The child then somehow managed to swim more than 100 yards to shore and seek help at a nearby home in Shrewsbury, a town located approximately 40 miles west of Boston.

Now 15, the victim appeared in court on Sept. 8 to deliver testimony in the case against Joshua Hubert, who is facing rape, kidnapping, strangulation and attempted murder charges.

Hubert, 45, was a childhood friend of the victim’s father, and had been among the guests at a birthday barbecue which was held at the victim’s grandparents’ home on Aug. 26, 2017, according to the Worcester Police Department.

At approximately 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 27, 2017, police allege that Hubert kidnapped the sleeping girl from her grandparents’ home.

The WCDAO alleges that Hubert then put the girl in his car and drove around the city before strangling her, stuffing her in the trunk and throwing her off a bridge after wrapping her in a blanket.

The girl survived the fall into Lake Quinsigamond and swam to shore despite being weighed down by the blanket and her pajamas.

Police said that the girl identified the man who attacked her as her “friend Josh.”

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This led to Hubert’s arrest and later a grand jury indictment on charges of kidnapping, attempted murder and strangulation.

The WCDAO said that the girl did not report being raped until 2022 because she did not understand the concept of sexual assault or understand what she alleged happened to her in the backseat of the car on the night of the incident.

MassLive reports that the young girl testified in court that she pretended to be dead during the attack after being stuffed in the trunk of a car.

“Fortunately, a greater tragedy was averted,” Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said in a statement at the time.

“The young victim had the strength to make it to shore and get help. I want to thank the resident who answered the door and helped the girl,” Early said. “I also want to acknowledge the Worcester and Shrewsbury police and the State Police Detectives assigned to my office. They did a terrific job working together in investigating this case.”

Hubert’s defense attorney claims his client is innocent, and pointed out in court that there is still no DNA evidence linking Hubert to the crime or the victim.

Read the original article on People