European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 9, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Doily Magazine by Mibb q in no a prostitute at 11, dead at 12 anew York police say thousands of runaway boys and girls turn to prostitution to survive alone. By Selwyn Raab new York times he first time Veronica Brunson was arrested she was 11 years old. The charge was prostitution. Before another year passed the police unaware of her real age arrested her 11 More times for  the age of 12 Veronica was dead killed in a mysterious plunge last july from the 10th floor of a shabby new York hotel frequented by pimps. Veronica s death which is being investigate As a pos sible murder is one More grim crime statistic to the police. But Veronica s life and her encounters with the City s social service and criminal Justice systems in the last year illustrate the problems and dangers confront ing thousands of runaway girls and boys who turn to prostitution to survive alone on the streets of new York. Six Public and private agencies were partly aware of Veronica s difficulties and were supposedly providing Aid. But none of the agencies knew her entire history and none intervened quickly enough to Rescue her. The Brunson Case is a classic example of How a kid can float through the entire system without get Ting any help said officer Warren Mcginist of the police department s youth Aid division a specialist in runaways. Even a baby faced obvious child who claims she is 18 can Parade through the entire process arrest fingerprinting arraignment without anyone asking any  the six agencies the department of social services the Board of education the probation department the corporation counsel s office the police department and the Brooklyn Center for psychotherapy now cite bureaucratic barriers and communication breakdowns for their failure to act More effectively. You can t Tell me appropriate intervention could t have saved her life said the Rev. Bruce Ritter director of covenant House a program assisting runaways. The juvenile Justice and child welfare systems in the City Are chaotic. Programs just Don t exist and everyone knows  by 13, 14 and 15-year-Olds posing As older persons is no longer rare in new York according to the police. But an arrest for prostitution at the age of 11 is believed by vice squad detectives to be the youngest recorded there in decades. In the summer of 1976, Veronica Brunson was 11, living in a fatherless Home with her Mother Emma who is now 34, and her Brothers Carson 17 Doug Las 18, and Willie 19. Mrs. Brunson unable to find work in her Home state of North Carolina had moved to Brooklyn when Veronica was 2 the family lived there in a neatly kept three bed room apartment in the housing authority s Marlboro houses. In addition to their rent the family received $318 monthly from welfare. By 1976, each of the Brunson boys had been arrested several times and had been in the juvenile courts. In con Trast Veronica s Mother teachers and friends agree she was Well behaved with no sign of delinquency. Pinched for Money mrs. Brunson said she had made most of Veronica s clothing herself. I tried to give her everything a Little girl could want clothing food and some pocket Money mrs. Bronson said in an interview. She was a Good Little girl and if i told her to be Home by six she always was at school Veronica who was less than 5 feet tall and weighed about 100 pounds was a poor student. Her runaway problem suddenly began in Midsummer 1976, mrs. Brunson said. One evening she came Home with an older girl whose name was Diana who she met at Coney Island mrs. Brunson recalled. Diana said she was 18 and wanted Veronica to spend a few Days with her Over the Bridge in Manhattan. I said no because i did t think that girl Diana would be a Good  several Days later mrs. Brunson continued. Veronica disappeared for the first time staying away from Home for three Days. On her return. Veronica told her Mother she had stayed with her new Friend Diana in Manhattan. That july Veronica continued to leave Home for two or three Day periods. Mrs. Brunson said sue had failed to report her daughter to the police As missing because Veronica would occasionally Telephone her. When the new school year began in september 1976. Veronica failed to appear at is 253. Bernard Lew her guidance Counselor said he was told by Veronica s Mother that she had been missing for More than a month. Lew said he urged mrs. Brunson to Contact the police. Police records show that Veronica was reported miss ing for the first time on sept. 19, 1976, after the school term had begun and that her family said she had been missing for six weeks. One Day after the missing person report was filed Veronica was arrested on a prostitution charge. A plainclothes officer said she had solicited him on West 42d Street. The 11-year-old gave the police her real age and identity and she was released in mrs. Brunson s custody pending action by the family court which hears All criminal matters involving children up to the age of 16. When Veronica returned to is 253 in autumn 1976, her teachers and Counselor were unaware of the arrest. Nevertheless All of them said they noticed significant changes in  year before she had dressed inconspicuously almost shabbily. Now she used facial makeup and wore expensive looking color coordinated clothing jewelry " a classic example of How a kid can float through the entire system without getting any help " saturday october 8, 1977 High heeled shoes and Nylon stockings she came Back a different person said Low she seemed to have grown socially out of proportion to her  her classroom teacher. Shelly Knepper. Recalled her appearance this Way i be never seen a girl that Young suddenly that . Overnight she wanted to be grownup in All  the teachers who were ignorant of her arrest were most concerned about her Chonic absenteeism which eventually reached 121 out of 180 school Days that year by the following May Veronica was a familiar figure on the Minnesota strip a seedy part of eighth Avenue from 10th to 50th streets that is favored by streetwalker. On the strip. Veronica now 5 feet 2 and weighing 110 pounds was known to other prostitutes As Shortie and by her childhood nickname Bay Bay police and court records show that Between May 7 and july 18 Veronica was arrested 11 times in the Midtown area. Usually she was charged with loitering for the Pur pose of prostitution the most common Misdemeanour used by police to harass and temporarily remove prostitutes from the streets. Through coaching from a Pimp or older prostitute.-. Veronica carried no identification and gave the police a fictitious name and address and said she was in when a  always pleaded guilty in criminal court and often was released after being held overnight at a police Sta Tion. But for two convictions sue was sentenced to a total of 12 Days which she served among adult prisoners in the women s mouse of detention. Homicide detectives Are Uncertain where Veronica lived during the last Days of her life or if she had i vome a member of a Pimp s  on the evening of july 2f the girl went to room 1003 in the Markwell a Dingy hotel on 49th Street West of Broadway. At about 8 . Guests at the hotel heard a lading scream and the thud of a body hitting the pavement Veronica Brunson almost nude Lay unconscious on the sidewalk. Four Days later without regaining consciousness she died at St. Clare s Hospital. There Are two stones on the Street about her death said it. James Gallagher commander of the prostitution squad in Manhattan South area. One that she was thrown out by a Pimp and the other that she was having a fight with her Pimp and fell out the window while sitting on the ledge. It s not unbelievable that a Pimp would throw a girl out a window. They brutalize girls if they hold Back Money get fresh or try to get away from  at the Brunson apartment photographs of Veronica s three Brothers now hang on the living room Wall. The Only picture mrs. Brunson says she has of her daughter is a wrinkled snapshot of smiling 10-year-old girl with a group of neighbourhood friends. The photograph is kept by mrs. Brunson in a Bible next to a withered yellow Rose taken from Veronica s funeral Wreath. The stars and stripes Page 13