A mother in Florida has defended her 11-year-old daughter, who was charged with felony aggravated battery after she was involved in a fight at Nautilus Middle School in Miami Beach. The mother claimed that her daughter was the victim of bullying before the altercation in September and said her daughter was the victim. The mother, who was not named to protect the identity of her daughter, asked authorities to consider the alleged bullying that she claimed led to the fight. “My daughter, at 11 years old, has to go through this and see herself in the news. She’s not a criminal; she’s a child,” she told Local News 10. According to the authorities, the girl is facing a second-degree felony aggravated battery charge related to the incident that took place at the school. The confrontation between the 11-year-old and another student was caught on video and showed one of the students repeatedly being punched in the face before someone intervened. The accused girl’s mother claimed her daughter was the victim The mother of the girl accused of beating the other student claimed that she believed her daughter had been the victim of bullying before the altercation, adding that she had previously attempted to get school officials to address the situation. She asked the judge to look beyond the video: “What led up to that? Why did she feel the need to react this way?” She said. “It’s because my daughter was tired of being harassed and bullied.” THE LATEST – The fallout continues following a fight that broke out in Miami Beach Nautilus Middle School last month, all of it caught on camera. https://t.co/gsCCd5kUxs— WPLG Local 10 News (@WPLGLocal10) October 29, 2026 The charge was initially referred for misdemeanor battery through a juvenile diversion program. However, the injured student’s mother reportedly requested prosecution, and authorities considered the extent of the girl’s injuries, leading to prosecutors filing the felony charge. “I was just grateful that she was alive,” she told Local 10. She went on to add that her daughter “was struck over 40 times before anybody intervened.” The Florida judicial system and minors While a child aged 14 to 19 can be tried as an adult in Florida, according to leg.state.fl.us, the student is 11 years old, meaning they will remain in the juvenile system. They also won’t be placed in a juvenile prison or correctional facility due to their age. According to flsenate.gov, juvenile facilities typically serve 13- to 19-year-olds. If the case doesn’t go through the juvenile diversion program, the student may be put on juvenile probation as per law.justia.com. Alternatively, they could be placed in a low-risk residential commitment, which is a less secure facility for juvenile offenders. The mother has since pleaded for help, texting Local 10, “Please, please help my child. She made a mistake, but she is a child that felt the need to defend herself.” She said she understood her daughter’s alleged actions, but did not condone them, adding that it could have been prevented.