Years after being set on fire by an attacker, the youngster, according to his parents, achieved justice because of a confession he made on his deathbed. The boy who attacked him, according to the prosecution, was detained and his family was awarded $150 billion in a civil suit.
Collins, who was 13 at the time, tied Robbie to a tree, doused him with gasoline, and set him ablaze in the woods on his eighth birthday. The young youngster wandered home while being consumed by flames before falling in a ball of fire on the sidewalk.
Robbie’s mother discovered the eight-year-old boy near death, covered in large blisters all over his body, with flesh falling off his ankles. He had no eyelids and had 99 percent of his body covered with burns. His only uninjured parts were the soles of his feet.
Robbie’s family was warned by hospital officials that he wouldn’t survive, but after more than 150 operations and numerous skin grafts, he strengthened. Despite being terribly injured and scarred, the kid immediately gained notoriety for his unwavering optimism. According to stories, Robbie, who supported burn patients and frequently made advances on girls in his ward, would declare, “The past is the past.”
He identified Collins, who was 13 at the time, as his assailant, but the court was unable to determine a motive and freed Collins. Robbie suffered third-degree burns that developed into fatal skin cancer when he was 20. As he lay dying in a hospital bed, he sought retribution and took a deposition, once more identifying Collins as the aggressor.
However, Robbie also made Collins’ intent in this video clear: to keep him quiet. Robbie claims that Collins raped him just 17 days before he was set ablaze. He grabbed me by the shoulder and threw gas in my face; after that, Robbie said, she doesn’t really recall anything.
Robbie died from burns, hence the authorities determined that his death was a homicide. Then, $150 billion in damages were given to his family. His family filed a lawsuit on his behalf. In the end, the jury gave Collins, who was 29 years old, a 40-year term.
