"I have never seen anything that would resemble this crime, with the brutality and the manner they did it,” police Lt. Chuck Reed said.

"Details of the crime include the most horrifying acts that Reed has heard of in his 29 years of law enforcement."

A 35-year-old Haitian immigrant and her 12-year-old son were attacked at gunpoint in their apartment in Dunbar Village, West Palm Beach, Fla. on June 18, 2007. "The woman was beaten, raped and sodomized for hours, allegedly by a gang of black teenagers, then forced to abuse her son. Finally the attackers doused the victims with household chemicals - pouring them directly into the boy's eyes - and attempted to set the pair on fire before fleeing," according to the Chicago Tribune.

“Nobody came for us,” the woman said in the interview with WPTV. “Nobody even called the police for us.”

A single mother in Central Florida heard their cries -- and took action.

Blogger Tanisha Mathis, 30, created a YouTube clip about Dunbar Village that was later featured on the local news.

"No one is dealing with the violence against poor black women –- especially those living in places like public housing," Mathis told News12.

"Outside of south Florida, the attack last June largely escaped notice, and it scarcely registered on the radar of national civil rights leaders because it involved the awkward topic of black-on-black crime," the Tribune writes.

Lawyer/blogger Gina McCauley says “its the height of hypocrisy that black leaders have remained silent for so long … about [female] victims of black-on-black crime….”

McCauley noted that several prominent African American leaders, including Rev. Al Sharpton, issued statements on the humane treatment of animals during the controversy surrounding Michael Vick. “We can get a statement about dogs, but not about two human beings,” she said.

The Austin attorney’s blog “What About Our Daughters?” has the ability to set black agenda and shape the opinion for an online audience of 200,000 — which is why Essence magazine named her one of the 25 most influential people in 2007 and why Sharpton 's network noticed.

"But Sharpton's remarks last month - and his apparent call for the Dunbar Village suspects to be released on bail - triggered outrage on dozens of Internet blogs devoted to civil rights, feminism and the interests of black crime victims. Now the Dunbar Village case is deepening a growing schism between traditional civil rights organizations and a new, Internet-driven generation of younger activists who take a more nuanced view of many issues," the Tribune says.

For his part, Sharpton "strongly denied in an interview with the newspaper that he was ignoring the plight of the Dunbar Village victims or insisting that those accused of attacking them should be freed on bond. He said that his comments at the March 11 news conference had been misunderstood and that he had visited Dunbar Village several times this year to show support for the residents there and denounce the 'hideous, deplorable' crime."

Prosecutors say they have DNA evidence implicating three of the Dunbar Village suspects ranging in age from 14 to 18. "A fourth suspect pleaded guilty last November to charges of burglary and armed sexual battery in exchange for a 20-year sentence and a requirement that he testify against the others," the Tribune says. The other six are still at large.

"The rape victim and her son have not returned to Building 1843, Unit 2, since the attack," AP says. They received a rent-free home for a year and donated furniture. The mother is paying her bills at her rental home and has returned to school. Her son is also going to school," according to the West Palm Beach Post.

"For her efforts in coordinating the gifts and paying for some of them with her own money, Detective Lori Colombino was honored with the Office of the Attorney General's Special Tribute Award on April 15," according to the Post.

"I just think they know that we're here for them more so than just the criminal case. We actually have compassion for what they've been through and we want them to get through this and move on to a happy future," Colombino said.

Author Tayari Jones raised over $2,000 on April 13 in an eBay auction where supporters bid on manuscript critiques and autographed books. Natasha Trethewey, Phillis Wheatley Distinguished Chair Professor of Poetry at Emory University, donated a signed hardcover of her Pulitzer Prize winning collection, Native Guard.

Jones recognizes bloggers for publicizing the effort: "You bid, forwarded the links to your friends, and sent encouraging emails. You posted on your own blogs. We were mentioned on the big literary blogs like Galleycat, Maude Newton, TEV, and even the LA Times blog."

Aaron Laramore, of the blog A Political Season, has launched a campaign on The Point to raise $5,000 for the mother and son. Laramore, of Indiana, is asking concerned citizens to "provide the help she and her son never got that night."

"It's not a lot of money, but I hope it will help make her life easier in some material ways like doing something special with her son ... or putting it aside for his education," he said.

"I just want to do a something to let her know that we care about what happens to her life. We want to try to be there for her now, because nobody came for them that night."

*Editor's Note: Individuals who would like to donate money to the victims can go to any Wachovia Bank and donate to the St. Ann’s Victim’s Assistance Fund. Donations will go directly to the mother and her son. Checks can be made payable to the "Dunbar Village Victim Assistance Fund - St. Ann’s". Donations can be mailed to: St. Ann’s Catholic Church, 310 N. Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33401