The opposite of 'Affluenza': a woman convicted of burglary was given a lenient sentence because of the horrifying sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her father.
33-year-old Tatiana Thibes was initially facing up to 12 years in prison for helping gang members break into houses, but Judge Dalila Corral Lyons took her childhood into consideration, claiming that she needs help in a rehabilitation center instead of jail time. Thibes has spent much of the last three years in jail prior to her sentencing.
Thibes told investigators that her father had sexually abused her since she was six, rigging the family's West Adams home with cameras to track her every move, the L.A. Times reports. She gave birth to his first child when she was 17, and had two more of his children by the time she was 24. Her father, Lindolfo Thibes, was sentenced to 109 year to life in prison on multiple convictions of sexual crimes against her.
"Because of her background, I believe it's time to see if she can rehabilitate herself," prosecutor Richard Gallegly told the Times. "If anyone deserves it, it's her."
Thibes will enter a rehab center this week for substance abuse and mental health counseling, telling the judge during the hearing that her main goal is to not lose custody of her five children, the AP reports.
"She needs help and direction. She's not a bad person," Thibes' attorney Ron Seabold told the Times.
