Police: Custodial dad, step beat child with spoons, cords, bamboo (Sanford, Florida)

We've posted on this case before. But notice how the headline and first paragraph misleadingly identify the perpetrators as the "parents," when what we have here is a custodial father and a step.

Saying "parents" manages to totally erase the mother from this story. In fact, as far as I know, there hasn't been one word of explanation as to how these sickos gained access/possession of this child.

As we have noted before, whenever an abusive father like RAKESH PERSAUD has ended up with a child like this, it should ALWAYS BE ASKED what happened to the mother. Once again, is she deceased? Do we know if it was from natural causes? Is she "missing"? If so, do we know how or why, or whether the father had something to do with the "disappearance"? Or was the mother outgunned in a corrupt Florida family court? Of course, the Florida media--this being a very fathers-rights friendly state--refuses to even raise these questions.

http://www.mysanfordherald.com/view/full_story/24505025/article-Sanford-Police--say-parents-beat-child-with-spoons--cords--bamboo?instance=home_news_2nd_left

Sanford Police say parents beat child with spoons, cords, bamboo

by Rachel Delinski, Herald Editor
February 03 2014

Two Sanford parents will face aggravated child abuse charges after a Seminole High School student confided in school officials that his father and step-mother had repeatedly beaten him.

The issue came to school officials’ attention after the child came to school Thursday with one side of his face noticeable swollen. According to an arrest report the child admitted to Child Protective Services that before leaving for school that morning his father had struck him multiple times on the face and ear, as well as kicked him in the ribs.

Police said markings and swelling were visible on the child and the child was complaining he was having trouble breathing due to the injury on his side.

Furthermore, the child told a CPS investigator that this was a normal form of punishment from the father and step-mother. According to the arrest report the child said the step-mother had even tied him up so that the father could beat him without the child attempting to defend himself.

The child also told CPS his father has used electrical cords, a bamboo stick and belts to punish the child. According to the arrest report the step-mother had also used a metal cooking spoon to beat the child on the hands.

Police said injuries from past incidents were visible in scars and open sores on the child’s body.

When police spoke with the father of the child he admitted to having those items in his home, but denied ever using them on the child.

Rakesh Persaud, 39, and Roseanna Prasnauth, 34, were charged with cruelty towards a child – aggravated child abuse and taken to the Seminole County jail. Read more: Sanford Herald - Sanford Police say parents beat child with spoons cords bamboo