This episode covers an issue that effects not only the transgender community but everyone who is different. It's has always been hard to be a teenager but when you're different, rather you're gay, straight, or transgender. Bullies will always find something to pick on, and that has been going on since the dawn of time, and there will always be a bully out there ready to pick on the little guy. The only way we can change that is to teach our kids compassion for others. And that's just what Avery and his parents were trying to do, they didn't want their tragedy to end with another family to lose their child.
It all started with three boys walking in the park and they spot Avery taking photos on a bridge. The three boys decide to go over to Avery and they started to call her horrible names. They also tried to lift up her skirt and played keep away with her camera. When Avery leaned on Darius, something in Darius's young mind, freaked out and Darius pushed Avery off of him. In that effect, Avery tripped on her heals and tumbled over the bridge. As soon as Avery landed on the ground everyone ran off expect for an elderly couple who stuck around to talk to the detectives. Lucky Avery had minor injuries at the time, and was able to identify the boys in a line up. When the detectives question all three boys about what happen, the only one that showed any remorse was Darius, the other two boys thought it was a joke.
Darius wanted so badly to make amends with Avery. That he made an apology graphic novel, saying that he hopes one day Avery could forgive him. In that moment Avery felt compassion towards Darius, as if she forgave Darius and the two could move on from this horrible act. But moments later Avery's heart stopped from a blood clog, that was directly related to the fall.
When the DA found out that Avery died, they had other plans for Darius. The DA decided to send a message that hate crimes in New York City, no matter how old, if it's a child or an adult that's committing the crime are unexpectable. When Benson and the other detectives found out that Darius was going to be charged as an adult, they were shocked. They couldn't believe that DA would want to charge a 15 year old as an adult with manslaughter, along with a hate crime. For one thing, Darius show tremendous remorse for what he did to Avery.
When Darius was brought to trial, several people testified for Darius. Saying that he's a good kid, Darius just made a stupid decision at the time. His English teacher said that Darius has always been protective of people that are different. She even recalled one student that was gay, Darius had stood up for when that child was being bullied. She believes the reason why Darius has been so protective of other children and his little sister was because Darius himself lost a family member to violence last Christmas. Even Benson's therapist said that the mind of a child isn't fulling developed, and that their judgement is different of an adult which is why they shouldn't be tried as adult. It's not that they don't know right from wrong, it's that sometimes teens do things without thinking more so than adults do.
When Avery's father took the stand, he wanted the judge to know in Avery's final moments, she started to forgive Darius. And that he didn't want their tragedy of losing their child to end with another family losing their child. Avery's father told the judge that's not what Avery would have wanted. She was all about forgiveness and compassion.
Sadly the judge didn't feel the same way. She felt that you had to draw a line, when it came down to hate crimes. She took into account all the testimonies, but in the end Darius targeted a transgender child, bullied her and pushed her off a bridge, and in the result Avery died.
It's a sad fact that we live in a world where people can't expect other people's differences. Like Rollins told Carisi, " You where a 14 year old boy once, would you or any other boy you knew, would put on a skirt if it didn't come from a really real place?'
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