Child Molestation and Abuse:

Anyone tuned in to the news lately has noticed a significant increase in the amount of crime reports involving children. Has there been an increase in the amount of crimes against children, or are we as a society just now aware of the crimes that have been occurring and gone unnoticed?

Take for example, one of the most recent stories being discussed today. An accused child molester and his parents were arrested under suspicion of murder. The victim: six year old Christopher Barrios. Let's take a look at this again: A child molester and his parents? The accused, 32-year-old George David Edenfield, and his father sexual molested young Barrios while Edenfield's mother looked on and masturbated. They then murdered him, wrapped his body and disposed of it in a nearby dumpster.
What kind of world do we live in where a child molester would receive assistance from his parents to molest and murder an innocent child and try to get away with it?

Then there's the case in San Antonio, TX, where 19-year-old Valerie Lopez and her boyfriend 28 year-old Jerry Salazar were arrested and are facing charges of the murder of Lopez's 18 month old daughter and three month old son. The children's bodies were found decomposing under the house the couple rented, after neighbors repeatedly called police to complain of the foul smell coming from the property. Lopez claims a lack of medication and Bipolar disorder may be to blame.

Let us not forget the unbelievable case of poor nine year old Jessica Lungsford who was raped in 2005 by the neighbor who lived down the street, convicted sex offender John Evander Couey. She was tortured and suffered a horrendous death as she was buried alive. Police found her in a leaf-covered grave, her head tied in two plastic bags; she's believed to have suffered from asphyxiation as well.

What have these children done in life to deserve such a horrendous fate? What can we do to protect our children? Needless to say, any crime against a child is disgusting and deserves the maximum punishment allowed under law. But I have to say, the most unspeakable and despicable crimes are often times committed by the children's own parents! What kind of society do we live in where these people are allowed to procreate with the simple knowledge that they are unfit for bearing and caring for children? Case and point: Valerie Lopez, prior to the murder of her two youngest children, had been under investigation by Child Protective Services, who removed her two oldest children from her care, placing them with foster parents.
Is this not warning enough for the state to put some sort of regulation on these disgusting and incompetent people? Why not monitor these criminals long after situations like that occur? Why not take these children away from the moment they are born at the hospital, considering the fact that the mother's other children were beaten and abused and removed from her possession entirely too long after the fact?

Why allow monsters like Couey to live outside in public, trusting that they will take the initiative to register themselves wherever they may be residing?
Government agencies may argue that there is simply not enough funding to continue investigations for long periods of time after the offenders have been charged, convicted and served their sentences for crimes committed. There's simply not enough room in the budget to take care of our children and protect them against the dangers and evils that are roaming in the streets, lurking around the corner of the public schools, and probably gratifying themselves as they watch these children play outside on their bikes and swing sets.

Yet, there never seems to be a lack of funding for a new sports complex in cities that already have three or four that are in perfect shape. There's also enough in the budget to consider a new golf course or some other type of revenue-earning facility that will benefit the economic situation of the city, state or country. In Texas, Senator Dan Patrick (Houston, TX) is proposing a bill that would pay women $500 dollars to choose to give up their children to adoption instead of abortion. Why not offer the same reward for mothers who chose to give up their children for adoption instead of molesting them or literally beating them to death?

Simply put, there is no room for further protection of our children in the government's eyes. As parents, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, grandparents, friends and neighbors, we must ensure that our young loved ones are well taken care of. Pay attention to the signs that abuse may be occurring. Usually, withdrawal from friends or family members is common. Acts of violence or uncontrollable tempers are not unusual. Physical symptoms may include weak or failing immune systems, depression, burns, bruises, bite marks, fear of adults or adult family members. Know the facts: two out of ten little girls, and one out of ten little boys are, or have been molested or abused; more than three million children in the U.S. alone are victims. Do not turn your head and worry that you may be interfering where you don't belong. You might just save a life and what's left of a child's innocence.

Resources:

http://www.helpguide.org
http://www.childmolestationprevention.org

http://www.mysanantonio.com
http://www.associatedpress.com