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SHARING OUR DEEPEST
THOUGHTSMichael and Barbara stand by the little white casket next to the burial site. They are both surrounded by uniform police officers and detectives from the Portsmouth Police Department. This has been the third time in less than two years that this couple have to bury an infant. Most of the officers, even while burying the little ones, were still investigating the cause of these children's death.
Michael, Valentine and June were all found in the garbage conveyors at the Portsmouth City Disposal site. All there were under a year old. When found, Valentine's umbilical cord was still attached. June's mutilated body blended with the pieces of water melons and other fruits found in the trash. These different flesh tone fruits made June's body almost undetectable. Her body was cut in three pieces. It is still unknown whether June's cuts were caused by the trash conveyor or if it was the way she was deposited in the trash bins. Michael was the latest of all the victims, found in February of this year. Almost an exact year after Valentine was buried, Michael's body was found.
Low self esteem, lack of education, unwanted pregnancy, socio-economical status, and guilt are some of the many reasons found as a common denominator in most of these homicides, Detective Sergeant Coker explains. Detective Coker is the Family Violence resident expert for the Portsmouth Police Detective Bureau. He goes to explain that, in many cases, the individual committing these crimes are a direct result of a broken home. Sgt. Coker defines a broken home, not as that of a single parent, but also that of no love in the family. The type of family plagued with arguments and domestic violence. Individuals raised in such environment , some times, grows believing to be the source of their parent's problems. Consequently, when faced with an unwanted pregnancy, they don't feel the love and affection most people would feel for their children. Therefore, in the minds of the perpetrators, it is OK to kill the child. They tend to believe doing the child a favor by not putting them through the same trials and tribulations they had to endure.
Among parents who are neglectful or in danger of becoming neglectful of their children are those who are simply overwhelmed by external pressures, those whose physical stamina is unequal to the task of child rearing, those reacting to their children in terms of their own unresolved conflicts and unmet needs within their own past or present circumstances, and those who are mentally ill. (Polansky 97). Neglect is only a stepping stone to homicide. So is the case of another of many cases read in the paper. A couple, living together, produce a baby. Both the mother and her boyfriend are crack cocaine addicts. They are trying to get high, but the baby continues to cry and interrupt their fun. A little white light bulb comes on over their head and an idea formulated. They need to find a way to quiet the baby so they can have some more fun and finish getting high. Who knows? They might even work on making another baby, if this ones quiets down enough for them to get to that. They rig something and, a few minutes later, the baby is sound asleep. Mom and her boyfriend are now free to party with little or no interruptions. But, this baby will never wake up again. When they finally noticed the motionless body of the infant, it was too late; the baby was dead. The investigators found no signs of foul play. There were no bruises nor any other signs of violence on the baby. The baby's death had been believed to be Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SID). However, the medical examiner found enough crack cocaine in the baby's body to prove different. Peewee Herman, the television character, could have easily put that together and determine what happened. Mom and boyfriend, more than likely, laced the baby's bottle with some crack cocaine to put him to sleep. Only that the baby never woke up. Another victim of parental neglect and little value on a baby's life.
In some cases, these deaths occur as a result of violence in the family. Fights for which the victims, the children, are not responsible. Children have become vehicles or instruments of revenge. Their death comes as a result of the assailant's loss of power and control over others or a certain situation. They find the children, being weaker, as an easy target to vent frustration and seek revenge. In New York City, a woman tossed her children out a 14-story apartment building after an argument with her boyfriend. The woman claimed to be distraught after her boyfriend announced his leaving her. She showed no remorse for killing her children. Sgt. Coker explains it as lack of critical thinking during time of stress. Low self esteem reduces, if not nullifies, a persons capability to think critically. In a moment of rage, their anger seldom outweighs their moral values.
In the state of Arizona, a study was conducted by The Child Fatality Review Board in 1996. Their results were as follows: 20% of children fatalities were violence related, and 13.2% were preventable. Out of 16 child abuse deaths, 12 perpetrators were identified. In six deaths (50%), the child's father was the perpetrator. In five deaths ( 41.7%), the perpetrator was the mother's boyfriend or husband. In one death, both the mother and the father were perpetrators. http://www.hs.state.az.us/cfhs/azcf/find.ht m
Innocent children also die as a result of religious beliefs. The concept of Satanism included ritual killing of children. In some underdeveloped countries, children are still being offered as sacrifice to the Gods. Even in the United States, case have been found where children have been killed during religious rituals.
So was the case of two year old Kira Canhoto of Ontario. Her mother and a neighbor were found guilty for her death. Kira died while her mother and neighbor were trying to perform an exorcism. They believe that through prayer and swallowing water, Kira would expel her evil spirits. (Internet). Typical is the Jewish story of Abraham offering to slay with a knife his first-born, Isaac, as an offering to Yahweh who had commanded him so to do. More typical still is the Semitic idea that his god would require such a murder to be done. ( ARNOLD LEESE )
During my research, I had my mind set on getting to the reasons why some people would do what they do to a child. I wanted to learn about the selection process their mind went through to commit such crimes. It was hard to find anyone to admit to their doings and the reasons why. However, I found one person very close to home. Although this person's decision was not a criminal act, his decision was to [allow] the death of a new born.
Ten years ago, on December 23rd, a young sailor arrived at his home from the airport. His wife's mother was coming to stay for a while since her daughter was due any time. Upon arrival to the home in Puerto Rico, his wife greeted them at the door with the news that she was ready. Just a few minutes before their arrival, she had broken her water sack. He placed her in the car and left their ten months newborn in the care of his in-law. Upon arrival to the hospital, a group of nurses rush them to the room where all women in labor were to wait for that precious moment. One of the nurses started checking for dilations and contractions immediately. Although they didn't match, dilations were not as large as the contractions were apart, they decided to bring her into the delivery room and initiate an induced labor.
A few minutes into this evolution, a Navy Captain entered the room, it was assumed he was the doctor to deliver the child. He did a final check, and gave the anxious sailor a look of concern. He informed the room and the sailor that the baby was [breached] and there was no time for a cesarian delivery. Not knowing what was happening, the sailor asked the doctor what that meant. The doctor's answer was that one of the two or both lives was in jeopardy. The sailor had to make a quick decision on whose life was more valuable at that particular point. He had to make a decision on someone's life. The baby they had both waited for nine months to have could be dead any minute. One the other hand, his wife of 18 months could also be lost. With tears in his eyes, he told the doctor to try and save both. His desperate wife, not understanding the situation, asked her husband what was going on. He tried to force his tears back in an effort not to worry her. The baby was now hanging by his head. His body was limp and purple, an obvious indication of suffocation. They had lost the child, but saved the wife. A nurse started to escort the sailor into the hallway to console him on his loss, as the doctor removed the limp little body with the use of forceps. As he looked back, before stepping into the hallway, he saw the nurse and doctor frantically applying CPR trying to revive the baby. The sailor and the nurse were embracing each other with eyes full of tears when the cry of the baby penetrated through the walls. The sailor, his wife and the baby had been given a second chance. In a split second, the fate of a child was about to be decided. The sailor never gave up hope. However, had he had to chose between the two, he would have chosen keeping his wife. Fortunately, God was on their side and no lives were sacrificed. Not everyone is that lucky nor is presented with those choices. On the 23rd of December, Emmanuel is going to be ten years old. He is an honor roll student at Woodstock Elementary. Emmanuel is the youngest of my three sons.
EMMANUEL
Whether the death of these children is a result of an argument, religious beliefs, undue pressure, or life's cruel choices, it is still morally wrong. Some people value the life of an adult much more than that of a child. Some even think that it can simply be replaced by making another. Some will even argue that, because of the age of the child and the short life span shared with this child, an emotional tie has not been fully develop. Therefore, it is easier to deal with their deaths. Others will go on to support that children are more prone to be put in harms way because they can't defend themselves. All that may be true, depending on how it is viewed. But, one thing can't be overlooked, a life is still a life. Only garbage is disposed of like garbage, and we even take time to separate that between biodegradable and non-bio. More time and resources should be dedicated to the education of people falling under certain demographics to prevent these incidents from continuing. Education is a very small price to pay in exchange for the life of a child. If we can all lend a helping hand, our only disposable would be our trash and not our
babies.
Michael, Valentine and June were the given names of these unfortunate children. But these names were not given by their parents. These names had been given to them by the leading investigating officers, Detective Sergeant Barbara Michaud and Detective Sergeant Michael Coker Although Michael, June and Valentine never had the opportunity to meet in life; all three, now share the same secret and condemnation. Hopefully, they are all playing together in the sand box of heaven.
However, there could be light at the end of this tunnel. The American Bar Association. Has set an on-line program to assist in the prevention and investigation of child abuse, neglect, and fatality, among many other issues. Their Center Discussion Group consists of Child-Court, Child Fatal and Child-Case Descriptions. Although not all of these topics are open-forum to the general public, they do have a listing anyone can subscribe to. Child-Court Forum discusses efforts to improve the court process for child abuse and neglect proceedings and related cases. Child-Fatal discussions would be valuable to child protection professionals involved in preventing and investigating. While the Child-Case Description Group is only open to attorneys and judges. Through info@abanet.org, more information can be found on prevention of child abuse and fatalities.
References
1. Sgt. Coker and Sgt. Michaud, Portsmouth Police Department Detective Bureau.
2. Norman A. Polansky, "Damaged Parents", 1981
3. http://www.southam.com/nmc/waves/depth/exorcism/exor1.html
4. ARNOLD LEESE , "JEWISH RITUAL MURDER"
5. http://www.hs.state.az.us/cfhs/azcf/find.htm
6. http://www.abanet.org/child/about.html
