Girl left Milwaukee mental health facility, trafficked, family says
The Brief
A 14-year-old Illinois girl went missing from a mental health center in Milwaukee.
While the girl is now safe, her mother said she was trafficked.
In a statement Lad Lake said it is a "treatment program—not a secure facility."
MILWAUKEE - A 14-year-old Illinois girl went missing from a mental health center in Milwaukee. While the girl has been found and is safe, her mother told FOX6 News the healing and fight for justice are just beginning.
What they're saying
Virginia Attaway marched outside the Lad Lake St. Rose Campus – the very place her daughter vanished – to raise awareness and seek accountability on Saturday.
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"What happened to her while she was gone is something that no children should ever have to go through," she said.
Attaway said her 14-year-old daughter was trafficked after she walked out of the inpatient mental health facility near 88th and Vienna. She also said there's a criminal investigation into the people who trafficked the girl.
"We were day and night, spreading flyers, going to new stations," she said.
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Attaway said it led to a tip last week from a man who said he saw her daughter.
"My whole body was shaking from head to toe," she said. "How remarkable is it that we were able to find one child in a city with almost a half a million people in it?"
Attaway said she's relieved to reunite with her daughter, but the fight for justice is far from over.
"Now I'm concerned about any other child that comes to Lad Lake," she said.
Dig deeper
Attaway said her daughter isn't the only child who experienced this at the facility; she said there are others whose parents did not have the resources to come and look for their kids.
"(Lad Lake) said sometimes they'll go chase them or follow them in a vehicle or something. Well, why wasn't that the case for our daughter?" said Stephen Pate, the 14-year-old's stepfather.
The other side
FOX6 News reached out to Lad Lake for comment. In a statement, the facility said:
"At Lad Lake, our mission is to help young people overcome trauma and build safer, healthier futures. We specialize in working with girls who have experienced significant trauma, including trafficking and exploitation. Through programs supported by the CSEC (Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children) grant, we offer specialized, trauma-informed care for youth impacted by sexual exploitation
"Our approach is grounded in evidence-based practices and strengthened by the voices of survivor leaders, who help guide program development, staff training, and service delivery. Every aspect of our work is designed to uphold dignity, empowerment, and the lived experiences of survivors
"Lad Lake is a treatment program—not a secure facility—where youth are supported in open, restorative environments intended to rebuild trust, foster resilience, and reclaim hope. We remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting survivors and working closely with families, law enforcement, and community partners to ensure every young person has the opportunity to heal, thrive, and live free from exploitation."
The Source
FOX6 News interviews the 14-year-old's parents and reached out to Lad Lake for comment on this report.
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