Jane LeMond-Alvarez Ref: article in The Ventura County Star’s Newspaper February 26, 2005 . A section - Front page news: “Hundreds morn dead animal at vigil” Demands made for stronger rules for exotic animals. Photos of a very young female child on the verge of tears standing next to a stuffed tiger during a vigil of the tiger that was shot to death by authorities. B Section - Front page news: Hueneme City Hall’s ‘Shady Lady’ Dies. Photo of a black cat that was adopted by Port Hueneme city workers in 1984. I love animals. In fact, I have adopted numerous of injured, maimed and neglected animals myself. I have been a human rights activist for over 14 years here in Ventura County, particularly for the rights of children. I am extremely troubled that “hundreds” turned out for this neglected tiger and that the paper ran front page news on these animals for several days and included photos. Shame on you. This month is the anniversary of 2 month-old Rachel Catherine Rother’s death. Her mother, Pamela Karen Rother, was charged for starving Rachel to death. Neighbors called in, social services sent post cards to inquire about Rachel’s well being, even the sheriff’s department was there. I don’t remember any photos or “hundreds” holding vigils for her. Where were you all when Nathaniel Bar-Jonah was arraigned for killing 10 year-old Zachary Ramsay & sexually assaulting other young boys? He also had “recipes” for “little boy stew” & posted “lunch is served on the patio with roasted child.” Or when Simi Valley Brian Trelatsky who beat his 10-week-old son to death; the parents dipping their child in 145-degree water causing his flesh to peel away from his body; the death of 3 year-old-Joselin Hernandez that was given back to the parents after social services reunified her with her abusers; or 18 month-old Mario Jimenez who was beaten into a coma and put on life support. The doctors didn’t set his broken bones because they didn’t think he would survive the brain surgery. Social services drove him to Mexico, walked Mario across the border and handed him over to his abuser. Where were the hundreds of supporters? I have been writing about these abuses for over a decade. I could fill dozens of pages with child abuse stories from Ventura County alone. In the County of Ventura, children have been beat, kicked, thrown into walls, burned with cigarettes, starved, sexually molested. Anyone can look up the statistics. They speak for them selves. Fiscal Year Total Complaints Investigated 88-89 9,798 55.3% 89-90 9,703 48.0% 90-91 10,345 61.7% 91-92 11,980 55.0 % 92-93 13,245 51.4% 93-94 12,696 57.2% 94-95 11,733 Out of all the reported cases, only less than half were deemed important enough to be investigated! Need I say anymore? I challenge you to research the statistics. They have increased each year. In 2002, Mr. Myers’, former Director for Human Services Agency Department of Children and Family Services for Ventura County, stated that there were over 6,846 reported cases of child abuse. While many of these cases failed to meet the defined standards of abuse, he still found that 4,206 cases required investigation and crisis intervention. The Department of Justice listed Ventura County as reporting 1,386 cases of child abuse that year (822 physical abuse, 246 mental abuse, 23 neglect, 295 sexual abuse and 3 deaths.) It is hard to believe that the majority of 2,640 cases did not meet the standards of abuse. For over a decade, I have been working to increase Americans’ awareness of the horrors of child abuse and to bring the reality of the unimaginable level of physical and mental suffering these children deal with to the forefront. Statistics show that every day, abusive parents terrorize scores of children. In cold, hard terms, that means that every day a small hand is held over a flame, an infant is dipped in scalding water, a child is forced to swallow household cleansers, an empty stomach grumbles while parents eat, a terrified toddler trembles in a dark, locked closet, a tiny arm is broken, a life comes to an end prematurely. Please do your part this April - Child Abuse Awareness month. Be courageous. Become involved. Be a child’s advocate and speak out to the lawmakers to change the laws that allow children to be reunified with their abusers. Hold social workers and judges accountable when they ignore irrefutable facts. I have yet to see crowds forming and vigils being conducted for these helpless children. Front page news? Vigils for tigers? Talk about misguided priorities…. Jane LeMond-Alvarez www.janealvarez.com Author of Blinders & Soon-to-be released American Child - The Injustice Files

Jane LeMOND Alvarez