Two Amish brothers who raped their 12 year-old sister with their two younger brothers were spared jail over fears they’d be hurt by other inmates. Aaron Schwartz, 22, and Petie Schwartz, 18, were handed 10 year suspended prison terms as part of a plea agreement in Springfield, Missouri, earlier this month.

Explaining the brothers’ plea deal, which resulted in them receiving five years probation, and which has sparked outrage, prosecutor Ben Berkstresser said: ‘These two young men would’ve been eaten alive in the state prison system…

‘Previously, I’ve been very harsh on the Amish when they’ve been charged with crimes of this nature…

‘In this instance, these two boys are very immature relative to their respective ages. Maturity wise, they are much younger than their age.’

Berkstresser said the local Amish community told him they’d inflicted ‘very severe’ punishments on the Schwartz brothers, although he did not specify what those punishments were, the Webster County Citizen reported.

The prosecutor said he was aware of the anger the sentences had generated, but said he was standing by his decision.

He handed the Schwartz brothers 100 hours community service, made each pay a $250 fine, and has also ordered them to write a letter explaining how they’ll protect their own children from abusers like them.

The pair, and their two younger brothers – who were not charged with any crime because of their age – all raped their sister.

That abuse left the youngster pregnant, with the girl giving birth to her baby earlier this month, aged just 13. It is unclear which of the four brothers is the father of her child.

The horrific case came to light after the girl needed to see a doctor about her pregnancy, with that doctor immediately notifying police.

During a subsequent interview, the girl said she had been sexually abused by all four of her brothers.

Both men have been put on Missouri’s sex offenders’ register for life, and will be sent to jail if they do not complete the state’s sex offender treatment program within the next 12 months.

The Amish are a traditionalist Christian sect who arrived in North America 300 years ago, and who have continued to shun modern technology.

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