When Parents Abuse Their Children: Why Do They Get Such Light Sentences?
When Monsters Pose as Parents
When the officer arrived at the house he asked the parents if it was true that there was a child in the basement in a dog cage. It sounds as though they casually said that they didn't know. He asked if he could go look in the basement.
He went into the pitch-black basement searching for a cage. He found it and lifted it to see if it felt like there was anything in it. Because of the weight he could tell that there was something in it. The little girl named Chelsea, crawled out into his arms after he opened the cage door. She had been hiding under a blanket. He was horrified. He still has a close relationship with her today. Tragically Chelsea was in and out of foster care, adopted and returned to foster care where she was scarred for life because of emotional abuse.
Her parents spent a year in jail and 10 years on probation for this. Yes you read this correctly. Her parents spent one year in jail and 10 years on probation for brutalizing 5 of their own biological children. They kept their daughter in a dog cage! She was sprayed with cold water. Beaten for going to the bathroom in the cage when she asked to be let out to use the toilet. The police officer said that the judge told them that he didn't want to hear any protest on the sentencing. Too bad he didn't experience what happened to the children.
A pair of twins was also on Oprah the week previously. They were raped repeatedly by their brothers for literally years from the ages of 5 to 13. When they told their mother she did nothing about it. She even walked in when it was happening, just turned her back on them and walked out of the room. When the father was told he asked them what their brothers did and then had them show him what they did to them. He then continued to also rape them. Finally a concerned family member and neighbor was able to get help for them.
The sad thing, another sad thing, is that the family had been turned in before, probably repeated times and yet they were not taken away from the family. The mother spent something like 9 days in jail. She was as evil and vile as her husband for knowing that this was going on and for not protecting her daughters. Who taught these boys this behavior? Are they getting any kind of treatment for the rapes that they perpetrated on their sisters? What will they do when they get out of prison? Without any kind of treatment, yes you guessed it, the beat will go on.
One of the brothers said that he would like to spend more "quality time" with his sisters. He also said that incest was legal in Alabama.
The twins' father Brad was convicted of three counts of rape and one count of aggravated sodomy. He won't be eligible for parole for another 17 years. Andrew was convicted of rape and sodomy, and he won't be eligible for parole until 2028 when he is 42 years old. Matthew is serving a six-year sentence for aggravated indecent liberties and could be released as early as next year.
At least the father has to serve time for raping his daughters and for not protecting them from their brothers who raped them.
Why am I writing this? It is not just to repeat these vile atrocities but to ask why that in God's name do these parents get such insanely small sentences? What is wrong with a country that does not lock away these monsters forever? There is no excuse for this. It goes to show that we do not value our children when we can give sentences like these to these monsters. Is it because our country still views children as the property of their parents? It is an outrage.
I do want to say shame on our courts, judges, lawyers, anyone that continues this should be ashamed to be a part of this. The laws should be changed. I believe that any parent that can commit acts like this should be in prison forever. They are monsters.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1360314/Parents-kept-children-metal-cages-beat-fed-pet-food.html#ixzz1Ev7w7PPb
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Update-on-the-Girl-Forced-to-Live-in-a-Cage
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Behind-Closed-Doors-Twin-Sisters-Come-Forward
Published by Shana Dines
Shana is an award winning artist. Her specialty is pastel portraits and watercolors. She has illustrated a children's book and has written and illustrated one now in publishing. She is a Christian but believ... View profile
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- legal, rape, abuse, child abuse, parenting, laws, rant, opinion, children, crime, criminals, incest, oprah
- One of the brothers said that he would like to spend more "quality time" with his sisters. He also
- said that incest was legal in Alabama.
15 Comments
Post a CommentI am so very sorry that this happened to you too. You are right you never get over it completely. I hate that your mother still denies it, when someone at least admits and asks for forgiveness it helps a little. Thanks for sharing your story with us Simon.
I come from an Upper Middle Class English family were my father beat me to an inch of my life. The physical and mental abuse continued for years with even my mother blaming me for my fathers anger and outrage. The numerous times my mother walked away as he stood over me kicking & punching me is still vivid in my mind. Your bones mend but your mental anguish follows you to the grave.
My father is 80 now and Sectioned under a Mental Health Order and my mother still denies any of it happened.
Scary stuff
It is outrageous:)
Very outrageous indeed. I agree with Nancy. Sometimes the penalties are stiffer for mistreating animals, not that this is good either.
Wow! My husband is a police officer and has dealt with such things. He is a big, strong man but when it comes to children he melts. I just published my second interview with a DFACS employee pertaining to child abuse. It is a sad, disgusting, horrible crime with no punishment bad enough or adequate for the abuser.
I agree...children are the most valuable resource a parent and society have and thus the penalties should fit the crime. I'm with you on this Shana. Nice work.
good work, thanks!
Animal offenders get longer sentences. And yet, some parents get unfairly accused and punished when they've done nothing but try to nicely discipline their children. Where's the justice?
I saw that Oprah episode with the twins, but had not heard about the girl in the dog case. Yes, this type of abuse happens way too often and the sentences are sometimes way too light. Can these people ever change? I tend to think not.