SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) -- More than 200 Texas children died from abuse or neglect in the past fiscal year, up 11 percent from the previous year and double the number from previous years. January 15, 2005 Tenn., "where parents of a small child received probation for the death of their child." PROBATION? The parents charged with murdering their 4-month-old daughter, who died with nine fractured ribs and fractured clavicle. Prosecutor Moore said she reduced murder and child abuse charges because she couldn't determine who caused the baby's injuries. Medical examiner's report shows the infant, died from failing to thrive due to multiple recent and old rib and clavicle fractures and "inappropriate administration of sedating antihistamines as a contributing factor." The father was also sentenced to 10 years of intensive supervised probation for attempted aggravated child abuse and remained in custody pending extradition to Florida on charges of beating a pizza delivery man. Attorney, Little, stated, "There is just no telling if there was a homicide and if there was, who did it." Absolutely PATHETIC.
The comments from all above were self serving attempts at justifying the failure to prosecute a murder, and, at the least, manslaughter, a common thread of many child abuse cases. 1. How can the prosecutor justify not filing charges when there is a body with significant and obvious abuse that circumstantially can be proven to have been inflicted by the parents? 2. How can the Medical Examiner not find that the obvious signs of child abuse, neglect and inappropriate administration of medication did not ultimately prove to a reasonable mind that this abuse was a contributory factor in the death of the child? 3. How can the attorney justify a statement that a homicide did not occur and that the culprits could not be found? Wouldn't Scott Peterson have liked to have these three individuals involved in his case? In Peterson's case there were no witnesses to the crime, no cause of death and California issued him the death sentence.
Terrorism comes in all forms. In the wake of 911, unknown terrorists killed 3,000 innocent U.S. citizens. Our country was in an uproar. Why? Because they hit our home, the U.S. Millions of homes and vehicles proudly displayed American Flags. We bonded together as a United Nation. We shouted, "NO WAY." We were once again a family in these United States.
Fifteen months later, we adorned our homes with flags, yellow ribbons for our brave soldiers who are risking their lives to liberate the Iraqi people from horrific violations of their human rights. Saddam Hussein is accused of killing thousands of his own people by torture, gas and other evil ways. The U.S. has declared that they will rid Iraqi of these terrorists. This is a war of liberation. We cannot stand by and watch a nation of human beings being tortured. In fact, we are outraged when a small group of American soldiers humiliated the enemy by striping them naked and taking, photos of them. Yes, we are Americans and we will not stand by for these injustices. We stand for civil rights for all human beings. Don't we?
But what about the children here in the U.S.? Who is shouting from the rooftops to stop their God-given human rights from being violated? Every year there are over 5,000 children killed by their parents or caregivers.
Prosecutors reduce charges or do not charge offenders at all because existing murder statutes do not fit many child abuse and neglect fatalities. I wonder why beating an adult to death is any different from beating a child to death?
In one example of an attempt to anticipate jury disbelief, Peoria, Illinois, prosecutors waited 7 months to issue a charge of manslaughter against a woman who killed her baby nephew with a stun gun. Brandon Jordon, age 7 months, died from multiple assaults from a 70,000-volt stun gun. Police say the aunt shot the baby numerous times to stop his crying. Authorities were uncertain if they could convince a jury that anyone could commit such a terrible act, and prosecutors delayed charging the aunt while "investigating the effects of stun guns on children." (Peoria Journal-Star,) Let’s get real with child abuse and call it what it really is – evil in the purest form.
By: Jane LeMond-Alvarez
www.janealvarez.com

Jane LeMOND Alvarez