Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Dad on trial for abusing 2-month-old son (Hampton, Virginia)

Fathers who have just separated from the mothers of their children are especially dangerous to the kids.

Dad is identified as MICHAEL BRINKLEY, JR.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/crime/dp-nws-abuse-trial-20140501,0,887590.story

Hampton jury begins deliberating in child abuse trial

A jury trial will continue Wednesday for a Newport News man charged with abusing his son. (

By Ashley K. Speed 8:25 p.m. EDT, April 30, 2014

HAMPTON — A Hampton jury began deliberating Wednesday afternoon in the trial of a Newport News man charged with abusing his infant son.

Michael Brinkley Jr. is charged with abusing his two-month-old son in 2011, according to police. Police were called to the hospital Nov. 28, 2011, to investigate the boy's injuries, which included a skull fracture, broken ribs, hemorrhaging on the brain and retinal bleeding. Brinkley was arrested and charged with felony child abuse a few days later.

The 12-person jury deliberated for around 30 minutes before being excused because a tornado watch was issued for the region.

Brinkley, 27, told authorities he was giving his son a bath when the boy slipped from his arms and hit his head. He also told police that as he was rubbing lotion on his son after the bath, he noticed he was unresponsive and slapped his face and shook him until he became conscious. Brinkley told police he shook his son for between 30 seconds and a minute, according to court testimony. He didn't take his son to the hospital once the child became conscious, according to court testimony. The boy's mother took him to the hospital a few days later when he began having seizures.

During her closing argument, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Charisse Mullen told jurors that Brinkley initially told three different people — a doctor, a police officer and a social worker — that he didn't know anything about his son's injuries. "This was not an accidental injury," Mullen said. "The evidence was that he sustained abusive head trauma. That doesn't occur from a drop from a relatively short distance."

Brinkley and his ex-wife were separated at the time of the incident. Brinkley was watching his son while his wife went to class. The boy is now 2 years old. Assistant Public Defender Stuart Saunders, one of Brinkley's attorneys, said his client was a loving father who was caring for his son. Saunders said his client's actions were not criminal.

"Brinkley is guilty of bad judgment," Saunders said in his closing argument. "Bad judgment is not a crime. It's not a willful act. It was a mistake. Thank goodness we don't punish everyone who makes a bad judgment."

Two doctors testified about the infant's injuries. A doctor for the prosecution, who also treated the boy, testified that his injuries were not accidental, and were caused by blunt force trauma, Mullen said in her closing.

Dr. Joseph Scheller, a child neurologist who reviewed the infant's medical records, testified for the defense.

Scheller said he wasn't sure the infant actually had a skull fracture because it disappeared within two weeks of the infant's first examination after the incident. Scheller said the fracture could have been mistaken for growth lines that appear in infants' skulls and eventually fade away as they develop. He said there was no blood under the space where the suspected skull fracture appeared.

The jury will continue deliberating Thursday beginning at 8:45 a.m.

Dad arrested after 2-month-old baby dies (Sioux City, Iowa)

Dad is identified as MICHAEL D. WILLIAMS.

http://whotv.com/2014/04/30/father-arrested-2-month-old-baby-dies/

FATHER ARRESTED: 2-Month-Old Baby Dies

Posted on: 8:24 pm, April 30, 2014, by Staff Writer

Police have arrested a Sioux City father following the death of his 2-month-old baby.

Investigators say 26-year-old Michael D. Williams is charged with neglect of a dependent person.

Just after 2 p.m. Tuesday police responded to the hospital where a dead child had been brought to the emergency room.

The baby’s name hasn’t been released and the cause of death remains under investigation.

Williams could face more severe penalties once an autopsy is complete.

Dad "allegedly" beats 4-month-old son to death; mom speaks out (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Dad is identified as ZACHARY RICH.

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/25385724/father-arrested-for-killing-four-month-old-son

Mother speaks about child's beating death

Posted: Apr 30, 2014 12:54 AM EDT
Updated: Apr 30, 2014 7:39 AM EDT

By Joe Bartels

LAS VEGAS -- A 4-month-old baby boy is dead, and police believe he died at the hands of his own father. The boy's mother spoke exclusively with 8 News NOW about the beating death.

Metro’s Abuse/Neglect detectives paint a dark picture of what happened inside a home near Buffalo Drive and Tropicana Avenue late last month. Court records show 25-year-old Zachary Rich beat his son Draven so severely, the boy stopped breathing. Rich was supposed to be caring for his son.

The boy's mother, 24-year-old Cassie Kierstead, said she left Draven while she went out with friends. When a flurry of text messages came from Rich, she knew something was wrong.

"I ran upstairs, and my son was lying on the bed, dead. My son was dead,” Kierstead said. "I think my son was crying to the point where Zachary couldn't take it and shook him, you know. That's what I think happened."

According to the arrest report, Rich told Kierstead through a text message the baby was unresponsive, but he left him on the bathroom floor. In another message, he told her she could deal with him when she came home.

Almost an hour after the text to Kierstead that the baby was in trouble, Rich told his roommate to call 911.

Draven was taken to the hospital. Doctors said he had internal injuries and severe brain damage along with several strokes. Doctors say the boy went blind and wouldn't survive.

"I decided to take him off life support the day after Easter,” Kierstead said. “I wanted at least one holiday with my son."

Kierstead said she had to make the most difficult decision of her life, saying goodbye to her baby she called her “little monkey man.”

"It hurts not having my son. He was a very happy baby,” Kierstead added.

A Child Protective Services complaint of substance abuse was filed against the family a few weeks before Draven's beating, but CPS closed the case, because workers couldn't locate the family.

In the police report, a friend of Kierstead told police Rich was not happy about her going out and leaving the baby with him.

Kierstead said she wants to know the truth about what happened that night and hopes for justice for her and late son.

Draven was cremated Tuesday.

Dad "questioned" in stabbing murders of two sons, their mother (Jamaica)

UNNAMED DAD

http://www.stabroeknews.com/2014/news/regional/04/30/mother-two-sons-stabbed-death-jamaica/

Mother, two sons stabbed to death in Jamaica

April 30, 2014 · By Stabroek editor (Jamaica Observer)

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — THE police were up to late last night carrying out investigations into yesterday’s brutal murder of a woman and her two sons in Ramble District, near Porus in this parish.

Police said the three — Nadine Carridice, 42, and her sons Jevaughn Thomas,16, and Roshane Ellis,11, — were found about 7:20 am outside of their home with stab wounds all over their bodies. The mother’s body was found at the doorway to the house while her children were reportedly found at different places in the open space outside the yard.

“It’s a sad day. It’s a wicked act,” said Damion Carridice, a relative of the deceased.

Several residents from Ramble and adjoining communities who visited the death scene were in shock as they quietly discussed the loss of three community members.

Aboutho Carridice, who said that Nadine was his only child, struggled for words as he questioned the motive for the murder of his daughter and two of his grandchildren.

A man, who was taken in by the police for questioning in connection with the three deaths, was said to be the father of three of the woman’s children, including 11-year- old Ellis. However, residents said they did not believe that he was the “real perpetrator of the crime” and wanted the “true criminal” to be found as soon as possible so that justice could be served.

They claimed that the death of the three could be linked to disagreements which the deceased woman had with another man with whom she had a relationship. The killer, they claimed, may have killed the two children because they witnessed the murder of their mother.

“The community well shake up. Whether or not is the man (in custody) justice fi done,” said Marie Carridice, another relative of the deceased. She said that she had a close relationship with Nadine and saw her for the last time Saturday afternoon. “She was very nice. No matter what she always a try fi her kids,” said Marie Carridice.

Yesterday, councillor for the Porus Division Muriel Swaby said plans were in place to assist persons having domestic problems.

She said that a back section of the Porus Police Station was being upgraded to provide temporary shelter for abused children, women and men, adding that the short term housing would at least give the victims a safe place to stay overnight while police carry out investigations. She said that the first phase of the work on the project should start on Labour Day, May 23.

Dad holds 1-year-old son hostage in SWAT standoff (Tarpon Springs, Florida)

I'm thinking it's highly likely that UNNAMED DAD is a single father. Notice that there is mention of his mother, but not the baby's mother. Does the baby's mother live elsewhere? Seems so. At any rate, we once again have a father who should NOT have been allowed access. We're just lucky this little boy wasn't seriously injured or killed in all this Daddy Drama.

http://suncoastnews.com/su/list/news-suncoast-pinellas/man-son-safe-after-tarpon-swat-standoff-20140430/

Man, son safe after Tarpon SWAT standoff

TBO.com staff
Published: April 30, 2014

A man and his 1-year-old son are safe this morning after an overnight SWAT standoff in Tarpon Springs.

The standoff ended at 5:36 a.m., when the 27-year-old man came out of the house with his baby after talking with negotiators, Tarpon Springs police said.

The child was not injured. He was taken into protective custody without incident, police said.

The father was not injured. He was being interviewed by police investigators.

About 10 p.m. Tuesday, police responded to the 500 block of South Levis Avenue to a complaint of possible criminal mischief.

The man’s mother told police her son was acting strangely, and after dousing a barbecue grill trailer outside the house with gasoline — but not setting it on fire — he locked himself in a bedroom where his son was sleeping.

He would not respond to her, prompting her to call authorities, police said.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Dad arrested for abusing 2-month-old baby; infant has life-threatening injuries (Okanogan County, Washington)

Dad is identified as ANDREW J. SPRINT.

http://www.omakchronicle.com/news/2014/apr/28/father-arrested-abusing-two-month-old/

Father arrested for abusing two-month-old

The Chronicle As of Monday, April 28, 2014

A father is in the Okanogan County Jail after being arrested for allegedly abusing his two-month-old baby.

Andrew J. Sprint, 28, of East Wenatchee, was booked into the Okanogan County Jail last Tuesday and facing a charge of first-degree assault of a child, Douglas County Sheriff Harvey Gjesdal said today.

Sprint was arrested without incident about five days after authorities received a call from Child Protective Services about a baby being transported to Central Washington Hospital.

The baby was unresponsive when an ambulance took the baby April 16 to the hospital, the sheriff said. The child was then flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for a subdural hematoma.

"The suspect in the case was the baby’s father," Gjesdal said, noting Sprint was caring for his baby when it was taken to the hospital.

"Witnesses were very concerned about the rough way Sprint handled the baby and the harsh verbal treatment the baby was subjected to," the sheriff said. "The baby’s doctor at Children’s Hospital said the baby’s injuries were the result of “abusive head trauma” which occurred while the baby was in the care of his father."

According to Gjesdal, the injuries were "life-threatening, significant and permanent."

The baby's condition was not immediately available.

Dad with history of domestic violence kills 19-month-old during weekend visitation; 5-year-old in serious condition (Madrid, Spain)

Once again, we see why fathers with histories of domestic violence/child abuse should NOT have access to the kids, ESPECIALLY right after the relationship with the mother ends.

Dad is identified as JORGE DIEGO C.A.

http://elpais.com/elpais/2014/04/28/inenglish/1398702094_816044.html

Father kills 19-month-old baby and seriously injures his other child

Detained attacker left a note saying he was doing it “for their own good”

F. Javier Barroso
 Madrid 28 ABR 2014 - 20:24 CET

A man who attacked his small children with a carving knife in Madrid late Sunday night, killing one and seriously injuring the other, had written a note saying he was doing it “for their own good.”

Jorge Diego C.A., a Uruguayan national aged around 30, was arrested by the police minutes after the attack, after the mother called the emergency services.

Medics found a 19-month-old baby with a slit throat who was already in cardiac arrest and a five-year-old with a knife in his back who was rushed to hospital and remains in serious condition.

Police sources said the man left what seemed like a suicide note expressing his desire not to be a burden to anyone. Later he apparently changed his mind and decided not to kill himself after all. The children were spending the weekend with their father at his request.

Although it is unclear whether C. A. had a criminal record, preliminary testimony from relatives suggests he was abusive to the mother of the children. The couple were separated, and neighbors of the residential building in the capital’s Carabanchel district where the crime took place said the two often had loud arguments when they were living together.

One resident reported hearing a child cry shortly after midnight and someone running down the stairs. Five minutes later, patrol cars and ambulances showed up downstairs.

A young man who lives in the next block said he heard a woman screaming: “How could you do this, why did you do this?”

The attack took place inside C. A.’s home, where the children were spending the weekend at his request. Their mother showed up after he failed to pick up the phone on several occasions, and is thought to have let herself in with a second set of keys. Inside, she found the children already lying in a pool of blood.

Dad faces assault charge for beating 8-year-old son (Patterson, New Jersey)

UNNAMED DAD. No mention of a mother in the home.

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/crime/2014/04/29/patterson-dad-beat-son-belt-charged-assault-putnam-sheriff-says/8449611/

Patterson dad beat son with belt, is charged, cops say

Terence Corcoran 3:40 p.m. EDT April 29, 2014

Brewster school officials suspected the 8-year-old boy was being abused, alerted police

PATTERSON – A Patterson dad faces an assault charge after he struck his 8-year-old son with a belt, causing welts and "substantial pain" to his back, the Putnam sheriff said.

Brewster school officials suspected the boy was being abused and alerted police.

Administrators at John F. Kennedy Elementary School notified police on Friday of their suspicions, Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith said in a release.

Investigators, working with the District Attorney's Office and Child Protective Services, determined that the 29-year-old father had struck the boy several times, Smith said.

Police charged the father Friday with second-degree assault, a felony, and endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor. Town Justice Anthony Mole issued an order preventing him from going near the boy and ordered him back to court on May 8.

Police declined to identify the father to protect the boy's identity.

Dad charged with breaking leg of 4-month-old daughter because she was crying (St. Lucie County, Florida)

Notice how the neighbor makes excuses for this poor frustrated thing. Bull crap.

Dad is identified as JOSHUA CAMPBELL.

http://www.cbs12.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_15400.shtml

Angry Port St. Lucie dad breaks crying infant daughter's leg, police say

Story by Chuck Weber / CBS 12 NEWS PORT

ST. LUCIE, Fla. - When Joshua Campbell and his wife took their 4-month old girl to the hospital, they told staff they had heard the baby’s leg “pop” while she was playing in her crib.

But the nature of the injury.. a spiral fracture of the leg prompted the hospital to call police.

“That type of injury is indicative of foul play,” said Sgt. Frank Sabol of Port St. Lucie. “So we immediately started investigating it.”

Police say the 32-year old Campbell eventually admitted to getting angry with his daughter’s crying. The arrest report says Campbell told detectives he shook the girl, dropped her on the bed, and then pulled on her leg.

“He said he didn’t mean to hurt her, but I guess his frustration got the best of him,” said Sgt. Sabol.

Police say the incident happened at the Port St. Lucie home of the baby’s grandmother (mother’s side), where the couple and their daughter had been living.

“Very sad, very sad,” said Pat Collins, a neighbor. “They’re very hard working people, very loving people… working two or three jobs, trying to keep their family together. I’m really sorry this happened.”

On Tuesday, the 4-month old was recovering from surgery at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach.

Her father, Campbell, remains in the St. Lucie County Jail, with bail set at 75-thousand dollars.

Dad arrested for raping 17-year-old daughter when mom not at home (India)

UNNAMED DAD

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/navi-mumbai/Digha-man-held-for-sexually-assaulting-teenage-daughter/articleshow/34388610.cms

Digha man held for sexually assaulting teenage daughter

George Mendonca,TNN | Apr 30, 2014, 12.00 AM IST

NAVI MUMBAI: The Rabale police has arrested a 40-year-old man from a Digha slum for allegedly sexually assaulting his 17-year-old daughter on multiple occasions in the past nine months. The accused was arrested on Tuesday afternoon, after his daughter finally lodged a rape complaint against him.

Senior inspector Gorakh Gojare said that the victim has alleged that he had sexually assaulted her five times between August 2013 and April 2014, when her mother was not at home.

The victim stayed with her grandmother when she was a child and, in June 2013, she came to stay with her parents. She confided in her mother but she did not believe her. She finally approached her neighbours and they accompanied her to the police station.

"The father was immediately arrested and booked under Section 376 (punishment for rape) of the IPC, along with Section 4 and 8 of The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act," Gojare added.

CPS neglects child abuse; check out coverup for killer custodial dad (Arizona)

In particular, check out the case of custodial dad GASOA BALAS, who had CUSTODY of his young daughter despite repeated episodes of domestic violence and child abuse. He finally killed her. He was habitually excused and coddled, and the agency continues to bury their enabling protection of this sh**head. Why? Who is responsible? And how did Daddy get custody to begin with? What happened to the mother?

http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2014/apr/29/neglect-child-abuse/

Neglect Of Child Abuse Lawmakers sidestep CPS reforms .

By Pete Aleshire As of Tuesday, April 29, 2014

A new flurry of revelations is now swirling around the scandal-ridden Child Protective Services, including the Legislature’s balk on reforms, a spate of high-level firings, a critical investigation and an inexorable rise in the backlog of uninvestigated cases.

The parade of disturbing developments started with the adjournment of the state Legislature last week without any substantial action on Gov. Jan Brewer’s top legislative priority, the reform of CPS.

Last year she reacted to news that the agency had classified 6,500 case of abuse and neglect as “not investigated” in a desperate effort to reduce a backlog of reports that had grown to 10,000.

It’s unknown whether any of the cases involved Rim Country children, since the CPS system remains shrouded in secrecy. The system protects the confidentiality of children, families and people who report suspected abuse and neglect — which means even after cases go to court few details are available to the public — or even other people involved in the cases.

For instance, one Rim Country child was the subject of repeated reports of abuse and neglect from the day of her birth to her death in a car crash on Highway 87 as her father fled from police with his daughter in the back seat without a seat belt.

Gasoa Balas had custody of his daughter, Calandra, despite repeated reports of neglect and abuse at the time of her death. A year before her death, police charged him with domestic violence after he brutally beat his girlfriend after she objected to the way he was disciplining Calandra. Gasoa pinned the woman down, cut off her hair with scissors and stuffed the hair into her mouth. Despite the assault, the little girl remained in his custody. She had been removed from his custody several times in the past and placed with her grandmother or foster parents, but caseworkers always recommended the return of the girl to her father.

The Roundup six months ago requested all the reports from CPS concerning Calandra. The initial response to the request listed about a dozen reports of abuse and neglect, but blacked out most of the details except in the final reports relating to her death in the car accident as her father fled the scene of an alleged sexual assault.

The furor over the lack of follow through and investigation suggests that the long, tragic series of reports concerning Calandra may have been typical of an overwhelmed, understaffed agency with caseloads far above the national standard. Although the agency had routinely reported in budget reports that it didn’t have the staff to investigate a rising tide of cases, the governor and lawmakers last year reacted with anger to the revelations.

Gov. Brewer split the agency charged with protecting children from abuse and neglect out of the Department of Economic Security. She also asked for an extra $36 million to hire enough caseworkers and investigators to bring the agency up to national standards.

After months of discussion and debate, the Legislature adjourned after including little of the new money the governor requested in the $9.3 billion state general fund budget.

In the meantime, the number of backlogged cases awaiting investigation has grown to 12,000 and the number of children in foster care or other out-of-home placements has soared. That has worsened an already serious shortage of foster parents, partly because of a relatively low state reimbursement rate.

The Legislature did adopt language that promised to address the CPS crisis eventually. Meanwhile, Gov. Brewer says she will call a special session of the Legislature in July to deal with the need for reform — including more investigators. Last week the Department of Public Safety completed an investigation of the decisions that led to setting aside the 6,500 reports of abuse and neglect. The report documented a process of handling cases that was poorly documented, poorly operated and lacking in checks and balances.

Director of Child Safety and Family Services Director Charles Flanagan promptly fired five senior CPS supervisors who had come up with the plan to reduce the backlog by putting so many cases in the “not investigated” category.

For years, the number of CPS caseworkers and investigators has lagged behind the steadily increasing number of cases. Low pay and stressful conditions has led to turnover rates among CPS workers approaching 40 percent annually — figures regularly reported to the Legislature and the governor.

Gov. Brewer responded to the release of the DPS report by saying, “from the moment I first learned of this unacceptable and unlawful practice, I have insisted that there be a full and thorough understanding of how and why it occurred, so we could ensure that it never happens again in Arizona. The DPS report is comprehensive. One thing is perfectly clear: it is vital that our state must continue the urgent effort to statutorily establish and new, standalone child protection agency whose core focus is safeguarding Arizona’s abused and neglected children. We must breakdown the levels of bureaucracy, change the culture that allowed this unconscionable practice to be implemented behind the scenes.”

Ironically, the agency now has more uninvestigated cases than when the now-fired supervisors initiated the new category.

They reportedly set aside cases that seemed hard to substantiate or involving lower priority allegations of abuse and neglect to make it possible for the few investigators to get to reports that sounded more serious. At the time, they hoped to whittle down a backlog of 10,000 cases, to focus on the most serious. The backlog has grown to 12,000 uninvestigated cases. They’re still not investigated, but they haven’t been labeled as such.

"Primary caretaker" dad charged with abusing 5-month-old baby (Smith County, Texas)

Primary caretaker? Primary abuser is more like it. Once again, a daddy with a trigger temper and no nurturing abilities bashes the baby. Wonder what happened to Mom? Was she working and supporting the family while this @sshole  ***ed up?

Dad is identified as JERROD DERAY PHILLIPS.

http://m.kltv.com/#!/newsDetail/25379910

East Texas father charged with injuring infant

By KLTV Digital Media Staff
Updated: 04/29/2014 1:42 pm EDT

An East Texas father has been charged for injury to a child. On Thursday afternoon, the Smith County Sheriff's Department responded to a call for help in the 16000 block of FM 2767. The call said that a 5-month-old was unresponsive in the residence. The baby was taken by ETMC EMS by ambulance to Trinity Mother Frances and was then flown on to Children's Medical Center in Dallas to receive further treatment. Injuries suffered were two subdural hematomas, to each side of the child's brain, and bruising to the lower back. Family members told Sheriff's deputies that the baby had fallen from a bed, injuring its head. The father of the injured infant, Jarrod Deray Phillips, the primary care giver, told detectives that he was the only person with the child when the injuries occurred. Philips, 33 of Tyler, was booked into the Smith County Jail on April 24 for an outstanding charge of Possession of Marijuana. On April 25, representatives of Children’s Medical Center in Dallas told Smith County Sheriff’s Office Detective John Shoemaker, that the injuries the infant sustained were not consistent with the story provided by Phillips. Dr. Cox, with the Reach Team at Children's Medical Center, advised that there were no injuries to the outside of the victim's head, that would usually be associated with the fall. Upon further investigation and an interview with Mr. Phillips, he was charged with Injury to a Child. According to the Arrest Warrant Affidavit, Phillips is being charged with Injury to a Child (seriously bodily injury), a felony of the first degree. Judge Christi Kennedy of the 114th District Court set Phillips’ bond at $750,000. Jarrod Deray Phillips remains in the Smith County Jail.

Dad charged with murder for 1-year-old son's drowning death (Houston, Texas)

Dad is identified as ENRIQUE ALBERTO MACHADO.

http://news92fm.com/433244/father-charged-with-felony-murder-for-the-death-of-his-1-year-old-son/

Father Charged with Murder in 1-Year-Old Son’s Drowning Death

Apr 29, 2014 By News 92 FM

(HOUSTON) — A Houston dad is charged with murder for allegedly drowning his son in a bathtub.

According to the court documents, truck driver Enrique Alberto Machado, 37, was possibly intoxicated when his 1-year-old son died Saturday.

Machado told Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies he had six beers with friends after returning from Colorado and fell asleep in the bathroom, and he repeated many times that he was responsible for everything.

The child’s mother told deputies she went into the bathroom and found baby Carlos Machado floating face-up under the water, and her boyfriend was still asleep next to the tub.

The baby was taken to Texas Children’s Hospital-West Houston Campus where he was pronounced dead at 11:46 a.m.

A medical examiner ruled the boy’s death a drowning homicide.

Dad charged with forcing kids to eat marijuana (Bartlesville, Oklahoma)

Dad is identified as CARL HOLDER. No mention of a mother in the home.

http://www.ktul.com/story/25383406/bartlesville-father-allegedly-makes-child-eat-marijuana

Bartlesville Father Allegedly Makes Child Eat Marijuana

Posted: Apr 29, 2014 6:08 PM EDT Updated: Apr 29, 2014 6:08 PM EDT

Posted by: Zak Patterson, Web Editor

A Bartlesville father is behind bars after his child reportedly told police that his father made him eat marijuana.

Bartlesville Police were serving a warrant on the suspect, Carl Holder, 31, because there were complaints that he has been attempting to make his children eat marijuana. They approached his residence at 132 S. Kaw.

Officers found the suspect inside a vehicle along with a small child in the back seat. Police reported a strong smell of marijuana inside the vehicle along with a smoking pipe and loose marijuana on top of an XBOX video game case.

Holder had a strong smell of alcohol and was slurring his words, the court affidavit said.

While dealing with Holder, officers noticed three juveniles in the front yard of the residence. One of them reportedly came up to officers and told them that his dad made him eat marijuana and put it in his nose. The child told officers that it tasted bad so he spit it out.

Holder was then arrested and transported to the Washington County Detention Center.

Dad on trial for killing bystander who tried to save dad's kids after crash (Arlington, Texas)

Dad is identified as THOMAS HARPER. No mention of where the mother was.

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/25384428/arguments-begin-in-trial-of-arlington-dad-accused-of-murdering-good-samaritan

Arguments begin in trial of Arlington dad accused of murdering good Samaritan

Posted: Apr 29, 2014 8:11 PM EDT Updated: Apr 29, 2014 8:15 PM EDT By: myfoxdfw.com Staff

An Arlington father is on trial for murder after allegedly smashing his SUV into several vehicles at a busy intersection with his children in the backseat, and shooting and killing a good Samaritan who rushed to help those children.

Thomas Harper is also charged with intoxication manslaughter and child endangerment following the Dec. 2011 incident.

Arguments began in court on Tuesday, with the defense saying that Harper was disoriented and that he shot the good Samaritan, 18-year-old Clarence Robinson, while defending his family.

The district attorney argues that Harper was driving erratically, was high at the time and put his kids in danger.

Another driver, Najee Nasir, was killed in the crash allegedly caused by Harper.

Custodial dad on trial for habitually locking 9-year-old son in tiny wooden box (Galveston, Texas)

Once again, we have a custodial dad and step who ran their home like a prison camp.

And as usual, not a word about what happened to the mother of this boy. You can just about bet the rent that the same controlling, abusive behavior was meted out to her. Of course we are not told whether she is alive or what happened to her--the media typically erases the mother's existence completely.

Dad is identified as DAVID WIESECKEL.

http://www.wday.com/event/article/id/96403/

Published April 29, 2014, 06:17 PM

Texas father on trial for putting son in box as punishment

GALVESTON, Texas - Prosecutors at the start of a child abuse trial on Tuesday accused a Texas father of locking his 9-year-old son in a tiny wooden cell to punish him.

By: Reuters, INFORUM, WDAY

GALVESTON, Texas - Prosecutors at the start of a child abuse trial on Tuesday accused a Texas father of locking his 9-year-old son in a tiny wooden cell to punish him.

David Wieseckel, 43, has been charged with unlawful restraint of a child and two counts of injury to a child on suspicion of imprisoning his son in an 8-foot by 6-foot particle board box that locked from the outside and had a peephole to see in.

In opening arguments, a lawyer for Wieseckel said the child had behavioral problems and Wieseckel provided care for the child that included redirection and restraint.

The lawyer added that healthcare providers were aware of his methods.

Prosecutors painted a dark picture of what went on in the Galveston home. They said the boy's father and stepmother stripped the boy of his clothing, wrote "liar" and "thief" on his body, photographed the boy and threatened to post the pictures on social media if he did not behave.

Investigators found the box-like structure when they performed a search of the home after the boy was reported missing in July 2012. The child was found the same day and taken into Child Protective Services.

"When he would get in trouble, he would be sent to his room. But he might be the only kid in America whose room is an eight by six particle board box," state prosecuting attorney Adam Poole said in opening arguments.

Defense attorney Nicholas Poehl told jurors that behavioral problems made the boy a danger to himself and others and that he required 24-hour supervision.

According to the attorney, when the boy was about 8, he "was hospitalized because he was hiding knives, hearing voices and saying he wanted to kill David Wieseckel and his stepmother in their sleep."

Child abuse trial set for custodial dad; step weighs plea deal (Ocono, Wisconsin)

Dad is identified as SHAWN PAHOLKE. Notice that there is no mention of what happened to the mother of these kids. Given that Dad and the step appear to be controlling freaks who ran their home like a prison camp, you have to wonder how Daddy got possession of these kids. Is the mother alive? Did he abuse her as well? Was she out maneuvered by this abuser in family court? These kinds of fathers are often very successful in gaining custody, because they are obsessed with hurting the mother and having total power over the family.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20140429/GPG1009/304290198/Child-abuse-trial-set-father-stepmother-weighs-plea-deal?nclick_check=1

Child abuse trial set for father; stepmother weighs plea deal

Apr. 28, 2014 3:25 PM

Written by Kent Tempus OCR editor

The father of two girls facing 12 counts of child abuse is scheduled to be tried in July, while their step-mother is weighing a plea agreement on the 11 charges she faces.

Shawn Paholke, 33, and Jennifer Fendryk, 31, appeared in Oconto County Circuit Court for a scheduling conference on April 17.

The Suring couple is accused of neglecting and mistreating the girls, who were ages 7 and 5 when the alleged incidents. They moved into the town of Breed home in September 2011.

A trial for Paholke was scheduled for July 22 through July 25. A scheduling conference for Fendryk was set for June 2.

Reminding them of their right to speedy trials, both defendants told Judge Jay N. Conley they agreed with the schedules.

“I want to move things along as quickly as … I want to make sure (my attorney) has enough time to do what we need also,”

Paholke told Conley. Paholke is now represented by Len Kachinsky of Appleton. He took over for Ron Colwell, who withdrew on March 14.

Kachinsky said he would have time prepare and provide effective counsel before the trial began.

Fendryk’s attorney, Bradley Schraven, said the interval for the next hearing is enough to complete several tasks.

Schraven said he and Fendryk will be weighing a plea offer made shortly before the hearing by special prosecutor Wendy Lemkuil, a Brown County assistant district attorney. Fendryk was also to be examined by a doctor the next day, Schraven said.

“She wants it understandably to get going, but on the other hand she understands that we want to do things like talk to the doctor and determine if we need additional experts and stuff,” Schraven said.

Schraven added that about 500 pages of discovery forwarded to Lemkuil by Colwell also need to be reviewed.

Lemkuil, who appeared by phone, told Conley that the plea offer expires on May 16.

“The expectation is at next hearing (we’ll know) whether we’re going to resolve (the case) or schedule a jury trial,” Schraven said. Conley asked Fendryk if the further delay was acceptable to her. “Yes your honor,” she replied.

Conley noted along with defendants right to a speedy trial and effective counsel, in cases with alleged child victims, the court has a duty to expedite proceedings.

Lemkuil said the schedule set by the court is “not out the norm,” as many child abuse cases in Brown County aren’t tried until at least year and up to 18 months after charges are filed.

“It’s more important that we make sure with complex discovery, and substantial discovery and issues, and the potential penalties that these individuals are facing” the defenses have sufficient time, Lemkuil said.

The maximum sentence Paholke could receive would be 153 years, which would a combination of prison time and extended supervision. Fendryk faces 127½ years.

Complaints against the couple were filed Sept. 23, following a four month investigation. The 5-year-old was removed from the home May 23, after she was found to weigh just 24 pounds. The girl was also kept most of the time in a room, and allowed out to do chores or exercise, the complaint says. The older sister also said her sibling was placed in time-outs on the deck in the dark, both when it was warm and cold outside.

Paholke is accused of zip-tying the wrists of the older girl to a post and leaving her outside last July 4 until after she passed out and suffered severe burns on her arm. Fendryk allegedly ignored what was happening.

That alleged abuse was uncovered when the children were interviewed by investigators on Sept. 11.

Paholke faces one count of first degree reckless injury, four counts of neglecting a child resulting in great bodily harm, one count of first degree endangering safety, two counts of causing mental harm to a child, one count of second degree reckless injury, two counts of false imprisonment, and one count of physical abuse of a child.

Fendryk faces one count of first degree reckless injury, three counts of neglecting a child resulting in great bodily harm, two counts of causing mental harm to a child, one count of first degree endangering safety, one count of failure to act to prevent great bodily harm to a child, and three counts of false imprisonment.

Paholke and Fendryk, who were married in July, are being held on $175,000 bond each.

Dad charged in death of 3-month-old daughter (Cincinnati, Ohio)

So let me get this straight. You hit a baby with a closed fist and kill her and it's "child endangerment"? Seems like what happened here went well beyond "endangering." The freaking moron KILLED her. Why is he not charged with murder? Typical abuser dad coddling.

Dad is identified as SHAVALE JOHNSON.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Ohio-dad-charged-after-3-month-old-baby-dies-5437675.php

Ohio dad charged after 3-month-old baby dies

Published 4:27 am, Tuesday, April 29, 2014

CINCINNATI (AP) — Police say a father in southwest Ohio hit his 3-month-old daughter with a closed fist before she was pronounced dead at a hospital.

The Cincinnati Enquirer (http://cin.ci/1tZ0cOQ ) reports that Asia Cathey's death is considered suspicious. The father, 24-year-old Shavale Johnson, was arrested early Tuesday and charged with child endangering. Online jail records didn't list an attorney for him.

The baby's mother called 911 about midnight, and the child was taken to the hospital from the home in the Westwood neighborhood.

Police wrote in court records that Johnson, who was due in court Tuesday morning, "did strike the child with a closed fist causing serious physical harm." Police said charges against Johnson are likely to be upgraded after an autopsy.

The baby's mother isn't expected to be charged.

Dad charged with murder in death of 4-month-old son; had just regained custody 1 month before from adoptive parents (Des Moines, Iowa)

The research evidence is crystal clear. Young males are the worst for child abuse. As a policy, they should not be encouraged to be caregivers. They are just too aggressive and have no nurturing skills.

Dad is identified as DREW JAMES WEEHLER-SMITH.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2014/04/28/father-charged-murder-infant-death/8422785/

Father, 17, charged with murder in death of infant

Regina Zilbermints, 12:21 a.m. CDT April 29, 2014

The 17-year-old father of an infant who died in Des Moines last week has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the child's death, police said.

Drew James Weehler-Smith of Des Moines, was charged on Monday. He also faces a child endangerment resulting in death charge. The murder charge is punishable by life in prison. The child endangerment charge carries a penalty of 50 years.

Weehler-Smith is being charged as an adult, officials said.

Four-month-old Gabriel King McFarland died of abusive head trauma, a medical examiner determined.

Investigators haven't determined for certain how the injuries were inflicted but Weehler-Smith, 17, was the only one at home with the child on April 22 when Gabriel died, police said.

Gabriel's mother, Markeya Atkins, had gone to run errands around 7:25 p.m. on April 22 and left the infant in his father's care, police said.

About 25 minutes later, a friend dropped by the apartment and saw Weehler-Smith holding the baby. As she left, the friend called Atkins, who asked her to return to the apartment. When the friend drove back at around 8:10 p.m., she saw Weehler-Smith driving away without Gabriel, police said.

When Atkins returned home she found the baby unresponsive in his glider chair. Markeya Atkins and friend Siobhan Williams returned to Atkins’ home April 22 to find Atkins' 4-month old son, Gabriel King McFarland, unresponsive. This is audio from a 911 call made by Williams.

Officials said they determined that it was Weehler-Smith who inflicted the injuries. Among other things, they took into account that Weehler-Smith didn't report any injuries on the child when he arrived and later left him alone.

Weehler-Smith, who is a junior at Des Moines Roosevelt High School, was initially charged with neglect of a dependent person for leaving Gabriel alone in the apartment. He has been in custody at a juvenile detention facility for the past week and will be transferred to the Polk County Jail.

Gabriel had only been living with Atkins, 16, for about a month when he died. An Ankeny couple, Rachel and Heidi McFarland had cared for the infant from birth and were set to adopt him when his birth mother took him back, they have said.

The McFarlands could not be reached for comment.

Felicia West, Atkins' mother, said she and her daughter had not been contacted by law enforcement officials before Weehler-Smith's arrest on the murder charge and weren't aware of autopsy results.

The family did not expect a murder charge against Weehler-Smith, West said during a phone interview.

"That's the last thing we prayed for," she said. "We was praying that somehow the baby got sick and had a seizure or something and he panicked and left."

Atkins had not been in contact with Weehler-Smith since his arrest last week on the neglect charge, West said.

Atkins declined to comment.

Custodial dad indicted in murder of 12-year-old son (Paulding County, Georgia)

We've posted on this case fairly extensively. Dad SHAYAA FORBES gained and retained custody of his son despite a documented history of domestic violence and CPS investigations for child abuse. And then the freaking judge lets him out on bail after the torture murder of his son. Who says abusive fathers aren't coddled by the system?

In addition, the second child mentioned that was killed by a "parent," Emani Moss? Like Eric, Emani wasn't just killed by parent, but by a custodial father with a history of violence as well. But, like, we don't want to acknowledge those facts too openly or too often, because then judges, custody evaluators, and social service agencies might be held as accessories to a crime. And they wouldn't like that, would they?

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/crime-law/father-indicted-in-death-of-12-year-old-eric-forbe/nfj62/

Posted: 5:22 p.m. Monday, April 28, 2014

Father indicted in death of 12-year-old Eric Forbes

By Alexis Stevens
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The man accused of inflicting years of torture before killing his 12-year-old son was indicted today on eight felony charges, including three for felony murder, according to the Paulding County District Attorney’s Office.

But that man, Shayaa Yusef Forbes, has been a free man since April 17, when he was released from custody after posting $25,000 bond, jail records show.

“I’m not happy about it, but that’s not my call,” Dick Donovan, Paulding’s DA, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today. “That’s the court’s call. The judge makes that call.”

Forbes, 32, was arrested in October after calling 911 to report that his son, Eric, had drowned in the family’s rental home, off Cedarcrest Road.

When emergency responders arrived at the home, they found Eric unconscious, Cpl. Ashley Henson with the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, previously said. The sixth grader at McClure Middle School also had physical signs of severe child abuse, Henson said. Eric died after being transported to the hospital and his father was arrested.

A preliminary autopsy, conducted by the GBI, ruled Eric’s death a homicide. Due to the extent and number of Eric’s injuries, GBI medical examiners were required to document all of the evidence of abuse, Donovan said. It was a lengthy process, but necessary due to the extensive injuries investigators believe Eric endured, David Lyles, a senior assistant district attorney said.

“The violence inflicted on this child happened over a period of time,” Lyles said. “Some of the wounds were more fresh than others.”

Eric had been beaten, likely with a belt and wooden paddle, and had been bitten, Lyles said. At the time of his death, Eric had injuries from head to toe, he said.

Eric’s death came about three weeks before 10-year-old Emani Moss was found dead in Gwinnett County, where investigators believe she had been starved, burned and put in a trash can. Both of the children’s deaths allegedly occurred at the hands of their parents, and both families had previously been investigated by the Division of Family and Children’s Services. Two state welfare workers were later fired following the deaths of the two children.

Investigators believe Forbes had moved his two children from Cobb County to Paulding in an effort to divert the DFCS investigation into alleged abuse, Lyles said. At the time of Eric’s death, Forbes may have been attempting to withdraw the boy from public school in order to home-school him, Lyles said.

“I think most troubling to me is that this child had to suffer the length of time that he apparently had to suffer,” Donovan said.

After Eric’s death, his younger sister was placed in protective custody, according to police. The DA’s office declined to comment today on the girl’s whereabouts.

Forbes was being held at the Paulding jail on $30,000 bond until earlier this month, when Forbes’ attorney asked a judge to reconsider the bond amount. Judge Tommy Beavers lowered the bond amount by $5,000, and nine days later, Forbes posted bond and was released, according the jail records.

“I would prefer that someone whom we believe to have murdered somebody the way Mr. Forbes killed his child, or is alleged to have killed his child, we would want a higher bond,” Donovan said. “We would want that person to remain in jail.”

Forbes is allowed to live with his girlfriend in Kennesaw while he is out on bond, prosecutors said. His arraignment has not yet been scheduled.

If convicted, Forbes could face life in prison without the possibility of parole, Lyles said.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Dad kills 5-year-old daughter in murder-suicide; was reportedly angry from custody proceedings (Pescara, Italy)

I'm sure the fathers rights folks are already spinning this into a "poor oppressed daddy" story.

As usual, a careful reading shows that the UNNAMED DAD was no victim. He was abusive, controlling scum who viciously murdered a child by setting her on fire and burning her to death.

Notice that Daddy was previously found guilty of abuse, BUT STILL HAD SUPERVISED VISITATION. I know mothers who have never been found guilty of anything who don't get as much.

Notice how controlling Daddy was, in that he didn't want this girl to see her sisters.

Notice that despite all this, the mother still tried to be nice and accommodate this piece of sh**. The FRs are always accusing moms of not being "nice" and that why the poor daddies act out. It's all crap. In reality, many victims of domestic violence still try to "get along" with the abuser--even though it endangers them and their kids.

So how does Daddy reward Mom for trying to arrange unsupervised visitation for his benefit? 

He burns their 5-year-old alive in front of her.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2615005/Father-burns-five-year-old-daughter-alive-pouring-petrol-holding-girl-car-seat-mother.html

Father burns himself and his five-year-old daughter alive after pouring petrol over them and holding the girl down on car back seat in front of her mother

Identity of 48-year-old man and his daughter have not been revealed

Mother sustained third-degree burns in trying to save her daughter

Animosity between the pair due to custody proceedings following a split

By Jill Reilly
Published: 10:13 EST, 28 April 2014 | Updated: 11:14 EST, 28 April 2014

A father and his five-year-old daughter were burnt alive after he poured petrol across them and held the girl down on the car back seat in front of her mother.

The 48-year-old man, whose identity has been revealed and his young daughter died in front of the distraught mother in Pescara, central Italy.

The mother sustained second-and third-degree burns in trying to save her daughter from the flames.

The couple split up last year - they had lived with the girl and the woman’s three daughters from a previous marriage, Rai News said, reported The Local.

After their split the woman reported her partner to authorities for abuse.

She told them that he was violent and was trying to prevent their daughter having a relationship with her three half-sisters.

In October a court ruled he could only see his daughter once a week after he was found guilty of abuse.

It ruled the visits must be conducted with a social worker present.

In violation of the court, the couple met with their daughter this week.

They are thought to have been on a journey to visit a relative of the mother when the father decided to set the car on fire.

Dad charged with kidnapping, assaulting 10-month-old son, and threatening to kill him (Canberra, Australia)

Once again we see how a dad's need to "possess" a child has nothing to do with quality parenting time, and everything to do with violence and punishing the mother.

UNNAMED DAD

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/act-kidnap-accused-denied-bail-for-second-time-20140428-37e79.html

ACT kidnap accused denied bail for second time

April 29, 2014
Michael Inman Courts
reporter for The Canberra Times.

A Canberra father allegedly kidnapped and repeatedly hit his 10-month-old son after earlier beating his mother and his partner, a court has heard.

The man allegedly later telephoned his mother and said, "I'll kill him before I give him back", when she begged him to return the infant. The accused, 24, lost his second bid for bail when he appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday.

The man is accused of 11 offences, including threatening to kill the baby boy, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault and property damage. He has pleaded not guilty to all. Court documents said the man punched his mother and 17-year-old partner twice in the head after becoming angry on the morning of April 3.

He then allegedly snatched the child and fled, hitting him in the head as he ran.

The defendant later returned the child via a friend's mother. A police informant told the court on Monday he heard the defendant make the threats to kill the child over a loudspeaker during a phone call to his mother about 11.55am. Court documents said the man remained on the run until April 8 when he located his teenage partner and the child at a Lyneham unit. He allegedly confronted the teen about involving the police in the earlier incident and taking out a court order against him. The man then allegedly bit her on the right cheek and pulled her hair. He packed the teenager's belongings, took the baby from her and started walking towards Dickson.

He then allegedly yelled at her and hit her in the face before hailing a cab to take them to a Flynn address. Police arrived and arrested him soon after. His second bail application on Monday was opposed by prosecutor Anna Jamieson-Williams.

The defence said the man would abide by strict conditions if granted conditional liberty, including reporting to police on a daily basis and observing a curfew. But Ms Jamieson-Williams argued no conditions could "curtail his offending behaviour". She said the man had a history of defying court orders, both for breaching bail conditions and failing to appear. Ms Jamieson-Williams said he would endanger the safety and welfare of the complainants if released.

Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker denied the man bail, saying he posed a "significant risk" that could not be managed by court-imposed conditions. The case will be back in court next month.

Dad admits raping 12-year-old daughter (Borneo)

UNNAMED DAD

http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/04/29/father-gets-15-years-12-strokes-for-raping-daughter/

Father gets 15 years, 12 strokes for raping daughter

by Natasha Sim.
Posted on April 29, 2014, Tuesday

KOTA KINABALU: The Sessions Court here yesterday sentenced a local man to 15 years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane after he admitted to raping his 12-year-old biological daughter.

The 49-year-old accused admitted before judge Dean Wayne Daly that he had raped the victim on March 15, this year at a residential home in Beaufort, at around 10pm.

The offence is framed under Section 376 (3) of the Penal Code which carries imprisonment of between eight years and 30 years, and whipping upon conviction.

Based on the facts of the case, the victim claimed to have been raped since she was 10 years old.

However, she could no longer remember the first incident.

Investigations revealed that the victim’s mother was in Kundasang when the latest incident happened on March 15. The victim was sleeping when she was abruptly awoken by the accused who was on top of her.

She was also coerced into keeping silent.

The student of a boarding school had opened up to her two teachers about this incident, and with their help and the school principal, lodged a police report against the accused.

She is the third child in a family of six siblings.

An early medical report also revealed that she had an old tear in her vagina.

In meting out his judgment, Dean said it was evident through the victim’s impact statement that she sees her own father as a harmful figure.

He remarked that the accused had clearly breached his responsibilities as a father, and even more so, taken advantage of the helpless victim, as the incident happened in the absence of her mother.

He then agreed with the prosecution that the interest of the public must be considered in this case as the offence is contradictory to societal norms and values.

He said the punishment needs to illustrate the gravity of the offence and serve as a deterrent to any would-be offenders who share similar intentions.

The accused had mitigated for a lenient sentence.

However, deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Nazneen Zullkifli had pleaded for a heavier, deterrent sentence.

He said that the rape was detrimental to the emotional and psychological health of the victim, and will remain a thorn in her personal history throughout her life.

Ahmad also said that there were no special circumstances for the court to sympathize with the accused on his offence despite his guilty plea.

Dad arrested for beating 6-month-old son; baby in critical condition (Taylor, Michigan)

UNNAMED DAD

http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2014/04/28/news/doc535e70eeecafc766424003.txt

UPDATED Baby critically injured in Taylor, father arrested

Published: Monday, April 28, 2014
By David Komer The News-Herald

TAYLOR — Taylor police arrested a 23-year-old Taylor man Saturday in connection with the beating of his 6-month-old son.

Police and paramedics were called to a house in the 6600 block of Pine Street at about 5 p.m. when the infant’s mother found the child having difficulty breathing.

The infant also was “coming in and out of consciousness,” according to a release by Taylor Police. The baby was transported to Detroit Children’s Hospital where he has undergone surgery and remains in critical condition.

Investigators interviewed both parents who were home at the time.

The father is being held pending a warrant request to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.

A Facebook support page for baby “Prayers for Jesse” said he was given a 20 percent survival chance, Fox 2 reported.

"Sole carer" dad jailed for two years for abusing four children (United Kingdom)

This is classic obfuscation. Notice that UNNAMED DAD just sorta kinda became custodial, ya know:

"He had been left as sole carer for the children through the neglect of the mother."

A couple of things here worth noting:

1) The curious use of the passive tense. He "had been left"? What the heck does that mean? The sentence is robbed of all agency. We're not told who do what to whom, much less when or how or why. We're not told what specifically happened to the mother or why she apparently no longer has custody.  It's implied--without saying so--that she left on her own. But there is no definitive statement to that fact. Or did others take custody away from her through legal means? All we have is meaningless fog.

2) But we do have the complaint that Mum was guilty of "neglect." What we aren't told--once again--is what that means. We have no examples. On the other hand, we see from a carefully reading of Dad's deeds that this wasn't just neglect, but out-and-out abuse. So why does he have custody if the better-parent rule is (presumably) at work?

3) And how do we know any of this? Notice that isn't clarified either. I suspect that this is an abuser's tale. They often speak in this curious vague way. Somehow Mum is, um, not around. And yea, she was no good. Right.

4) If this guy assaulted a 15-year-old girl before (his daughter? Or somebody else's daughter?), why was he allowed to gain and retain custody? Typical double-standard for fathers.

I would like to see the media follow up on these stories for once, and stop taking abuser tales at face value.  Whenever you have a father who turns out to be a violent control freak with what is apparently full custody, and no sign of the mother, that should automatically trigger a red flag. What happened to the mother? Is she alive and safe? Was she driven out of the home by violence that was similar to what was inflicted on the kids?

And what a waste of time and money these "nurturing" programs are. They simply provide cover for these vicious men.

http://www.bromsgroveadvertiser.co.uk/news/11175943.Bromsgrove_man_jailed_for_child_cruelty/

Bromsgrove man jailed for child cruelty

4:20pm Monday 28th April 2014 in News .

A BROMSGROVE man who subjected his four children, all under 10, to a regime of harsh physical treatment has been jailed for two years.

The 43-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was described as "more than a bully" by Recorder Edward Coke at Worcester Crown Court.

He said that the defendant, who pleaded guilty to child cruelty between 2010 and 2013, had caused emotional suffering as well as physical pain. The recorder added that his loss of temper had been appalling.

Prosecutor Peter Grice described how the father had used a two foot piece of wood as a smacking stick to hit the children, although none had been badly injured.

When the family had gone on holiday to Cornwall he had forgotten his smacking stick so he got the children to pick a branch from a tree so he could use it to hit them. He also broke a wooden spoon when he hit one child on the head.

The punishment for a youngster who soiled his clothes was putting him in a cold shower.

Mr Grice said the defendant was in breach of a conditional discharge, imposed in 2011, when he admitted common assault on a 15-year-old girl. He had bruised her head as he roughly carried her through a gate.

Diljit Bachada, in mitigation, said her client had been to nine sessions of a nurturing programme and had been awarded a certificate. He had been left as sole carer for the children through the neglect of the mother. He had not been helped by social services and now regretted his wrongdoing.

The defendant, who described himself as a dinosaur in his treatment of the children, was told he must serve half his sentence before being released on licence. He must also pay a £100 victim surcharge.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Dad arrested for attacking 1-year-old daughter during visitation; therapist recommends he take part in Fatherhood Program (Danvers, Massachusetts)

So many levels of wrong here. A fatherhood program is not going to fix a dad with a history of assault who attacks his 1-year-old daughter because he's jealous of her attachment to her mother.

This is nothing but indulgence of a violent man who needs to be kept away from children.

Dad is identified as BERNARD PEEPLES DAVIS.

http://www.newburyportnews.com/local/x2117350856/Father-held-in-attack-on-baby-in-Danvers-hotel?zc_p=0

April 25, 2014

Father held in attack on baby in Danvers hotel

BY JULIE MANGANIS STAFF WRITER

DANVERS — A Dorchester man is being held without bail, charged with grabbing his 1-year-old daughter’s face so hard that he broke the skin and pinning her down under his legs. The incident occurred during a visit at the Danvers hotel where she and her homeless mother had been living, police said.

The incident, which was recorded by the baby’s mother on a cellphone, occurred on the morning of March 30, but Bernard Peeples Davis, 43, wasn’t found until last week.

During a hearing Wednesday in Salem District Court, Judge Michael Lauranzano concluded that there are no conditions that could ensure the safety of the child and ordered Davis held without bail until trial on charges of assault and battery on a child causing injury.

Police were called to the Extended Stay America hotel on Route 1 on the afternoon of March 30 by the child’s mother, 33. She called police after Davis left.

The woman was living in the hotel with her two children by Davis, the 1-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy.

Davis, who visited every other weekend, had been irritated with the baby, who was teething and, because of that, fussier than usual, according to a police report.

“A switch flips with him,” the baby’s mother told police.

That morning, she told police, Davis repeatedly yelled, “Shut your mouth” at the child, who was seated on his lap, crying loudly.

As he yelled at her, he held his hand against her face and head, which caused the baby to continue crying loudly. Later, the girl’s mother saw bruises and puncture marks from fingernails on her face, as well as bruising that stretched from her shoulder to her chest.

At one point, the woman told police, Davis put the baby on the floor, then put his legs on top of her.

Police noted redness on the side of the baby’s face.

The Department of Children and Families was notified and took both children and their mother to Salem Hospital for evaluation.

Davis, who was arrested on a warrant last Tuesday, has a five-page criminal record that includes past incidents of assault.

But in a letter submitted to the court by his attorney, Davis’ therapist, Jane Brodie, called the incident “the one exception to a crime-free, four-year period.”

Defense attorney Ed Sargent argued against detention for Davis. He submitted the letter in support of that request.

The letter, from a therapist at Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury, said Davis is working on goals that include having parts of his criminal record sealed to improve his chances of getting housing and “steps toward employment.”

Davis, who has three children, including the two children living in Danvers, has been getting therapy for anxiety and depression, the therapist wrote. He also reported feeling “excluded” from the children during his biweekly visits because they are more attached to their mother.

The therapist said she believed “that he was not totally cognizant of what to expect from a 1-year-old and that he was expecting more self-control from her than she could deliver at her age.” Brodie said in her letter that she has recommended that he take part in the Fatherhood Nurturing Program, “which helps men of color become better parents.”

That program will have to wait, however. Davis will remain in custody at Middleton Jail pending trial, the judge ordered.

A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for May 21.

Dad arrested for trying to pimp out 4-year-old son (Elkin, Oklahoma)

Dad is identified as FRANKIE TAHSEQUAH.

http://kfor.com/2014/04/25/father-arrested-after-attempting-to-pimp-out-his-four-year-old-son/

Father arrested after attempting to pimp out his 4-year-old son

Posted on: 3:01 pm, April 25, 2014, by Dallas Franklin and KFOR-TV, updated on: 03:34pm, April 25, 2014

ELGIN, Okla. – An Oklahoma father is in police custody after authorities intercepted an internet chat regarding lewd proposals with his young child.

According to the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office, Lieutenant Adam Flowers, a member of the OSBI’s Internet Crimes against Children state wide task force took Frankie Tahsequah, 39, of Elgin, into custody after authorities intercepted an internet chat where Tahsequah offered an adult male the opportunity to have sex with his four year old son.

Police say during a lengthy interview and examination of a cell phone, Lt. Flowers determined Tahsequah was in possession of child pornography, and that he had been actively trading in child pornography as well.

The Elgin man allegedly admitted to authorities that he possessed the long time fantasy of having a sexual relationship with a small child.

However, he denied ever acting on it.

Canadian County Sheriff Randall Edwards said, “These monsters will do anything to fulfill their twisted fantasies, and while Tahsequah denies ever having abused a child, it’s only a matter of time until these people act out their fantasy and destroy a child’s life.”

Tahsequah was booked into the Commanche County Jail with charges of Possession of Child Pornography and Violations of the Computer Crimes Act.

Dad kicks 5-year-old son in stomach (United Kingdom)

UNNAMED DAD

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/dundee/dundee-dad-kicked-young-son-in-the-stomach-outside-his-school-1.338295

Dundee dad kicked young son in the stomach outside his school

By Jenny Thomson, 26 April 2014 10.33am.

A father got so frustrated with his five-year-old son he kicked him in the stomach outside his Dundee primary school, a court has heard.

At Dundee Sheriff Court on Friday the 43-year-old — who to preserve the child’s anonymity can’t be named — admitted assaulting the boy by slapping him on the bottom, pushing him to the ground and kicking him.

Depute fiscal Charmaine Gilmartin told the court the father appeared at the school gates one morning last year with the visibly “upset” child.

She said: “The child was upset, clinging on to the accused and was displaying a reluctance to go in to the school.”

The court heard a witness thought the father looked “irritated” with the child.

The fiscal continued: “The accused then lifted his hand above his shoulder height and smacked the child on the bottom, and this caused the child to move forward.

“The child was still trying to hold on to his father but the accused was trying to walk away from him.

“The accused was then seen to lift both his hands and push the child, resulting in the child being knocked to the ground.”

The witness went over and picked up the child who was very upset.

Mrs Gilmartain continued: “The child was very upset but the accused appeared even more annoyed.

“He then kicked the child in the stomach. The witness stated there was a lot of force, describing it as being powerful, and the kick caused the child to fall to the ground.”

The child was then taken into school by the witness and the police were there to meet the father when he returned to pick his son up.

His response was that he was trying to ‘take control and educate’ his child.

The incident sparked a child protection investigation but the court heard that had since concluded with no further action being taken.

Defence solicitor Mike Ferrie said: “He accepts what he did went beyond the reasonable grounds of chastising and fully accepts what he did was wrong.

“He apologised for his lack of self-control.”

Sheriff Kenneth McGowan said the charge was very serious but took into account the fact that no further action is being taken by child protection services.

He said: “It seems to me that you simply allowed your temper to get the better of you. “Certainly kicking a child causing him to fall over is far beyond anything that can ever be accepted as reasonable.”

Sheriff McGowan fined the man £400 and ordered him to pay it within 28 days.

Dad kills 6-year-old son with hammer; mom in critical condition (Philippines)

Dad is identified as JUNIE PACHECO.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/358589/news/regions/child-dies-after-being-hacked-and-hit-by-own-father

Child dies after being hacked and hit by own father

April 27, 2014 6:38pm

A six-year-old child in Ilocos Norte died after being hacked and hit with a hammer by his own father, a radio report said Sunday.

Lemuel Pacheco, a kindergarten pupil, was declared dead on arrival at the Bangui District Hospital, Bombo Radyo reported.

His mother, Mary Anne Pacheco, was also hit with a hammer and was in critical condition at the Gov. Roque Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital, the report added.

The report said the suspect, identified as Junie Pacheco, a resident of Barangay San Lorenzo in Bangui town, has been placed under tight watch. Pacheco is at the hospital himself after hacking at his own neck and hitting his own head with a hammer.

Junie's mother, Jovita Castro, who reportedly saw Pacheco hurting himself, was quoted in the report as saying she did not know why the suspect attacked his own wife and child. — Joel Locsin/JDS, GMA News

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Dad on trial for raping adult daughter; sexually abused her as a child (Graham, Michigan)

Dad is identified as EMMET THOMAS COSIER. Notice that Daddy also sexually abused her as a child. And that as an adult, he threatened to kill her and take away her child. Custody threats are a major way that men threaten women.

http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/top-news/daughter-describes-violent-sexual-assault-at-hands-of-her-father-1.311014?page=0

Daughter describes violent sexual assault at hands of her father

By Michael D. Abernethy / Times-News
Published: Friday, April 25, 2014 at 18:41 PM.

Jurors in a rape trial watched video Friday of a woman describing to investigators two violent sexual assaults by her father, during which she said she was choked unconscious, had her head bashed against a wall and was threatened with a knife.

The assaults allegedly occurred in a Snow Camp apartment on Dec. 19, 2010, when her father, 76-year-old Emmet Thomas Cosier, of Boyne City, Mich., was visiting for Christmas. The interview video was played after lead investigator, Detective Bobby Baldwin, with the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office, took the witness stand.

The entire interview on May 6, 2011, lasted more than five hours. Jurors watched only portions of that interview deemed relevant to the trial.

Cosier is charged with first-degree rape, second-degree rape, attempted first-degree sex offense, two counts of second-degree sex offense and two counts of incest. He is charged here only with two incidents that allegedly occurred Dec. 19, 2010. His trial began Tuesday in Alamance County Superior Court and will continue next week.

The woman testified about decades of sexual abuse by Cosier as they traveled the world and worked in Africa as missionaries. Cosier and his family helped build a school in The Gambia, Africa, and he and his wife founded their own mission in 1985. Cosier is only on trial in Alamance County for the events that allegedly occurred in Snow Camp.

In the interview, the woman, now 41, said she called out and tried to scream for help but that her voice wouldn’t work. She said Cosier threatened to kill her if she told on him and also threatened to take her son away from her.

The woman said her husband, children and mother were nearby but possibly not in the apartment at the time. Cosier and the woman’s mother were staying in a neighboring apartment during their visit.

Her husband testified Thursday that he saw red marks around her neck and commented on them at the time but didn’t press his wife about what caused them. He couldn’t recall the exact events of that day, which also included a Christmas party with the whole family.

In the courtroom, the woman’s mother shook her head in disagreement with her daughter’s story during several moments of the recorded interview: once when her daughter described Cosier beating her head against the wall, and again when the woman began laughing during the interview as she described regaining consciousness to find her wrists bound by her father’s belt.

Under cross-examination by defense attorney Don Dickerson, Baldwin testified about photographs of Cosier’s genitals. The woman testified she saw specific marks on Cosier’s legs during the Dec. 19 attack. None of those marks was evident in the photographs, Baldwin said.

Dickerson also pressed Baldwin about where other family members could have or would have been during the alleged attacks. Baldwin said he couldn’t say where they were, but said it would have been possible for any family member to enter the bedroom during the assaults. Baldwin will continue testifying when the trial continues at 9:30 a.m. Monday in the Alamance County Historic Courthouse.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Dad arrested for slamming 1-year-old baby to the ground (The Phillipines)

Dad is identified as CHRISTOPHER EBAHAN.

http://www.mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20140424121310

Filipino man arrested for child abuse

Posted By Mindanao Examiner | Friday, April 25, 2014 01:13:10 AM

DIPOLOG CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 24, 2014) – Police arrested a man who slammed his one year old baby on the ground following a quarrel with his partner in the town of Polanco in Zamboanga del Norte province in southern Philippines.

Police said the baby was brought to hospital for medical examination while his 27-year old father Christopher Ebahan has been charged with child abuse.

The baby’s mother, Gleza Jarapan, 34, told police that she went to their farm after quarreling with Ebahan and was unaware of what had happened to the boy.

Police said a neighbor, Luzvilla Gamale, 58, saw Ebahan threw the baby before fleeing their house and she told village officials about what happened and they contacted authorities to report the abuse.

Ebahan was arrested by pursuing policemen in his mother’s house in the neighboring town of Roxas. The condition of the baby is still unknown. (Mindanao Examiner)

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Drunk dad arrested for child neglect; what happened to this little girl's mother? (United Kingdom)

Notice that the neglected little girl has been placed with unnamed relatives. There is no mention of a mother, either inside the home or elsewhere. Is UNNAMED DAD a single father? How and why does he apparently have possession of this child?

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/drunk-cumbrian-dad-sent-to-prison-for-12-weeks-for-child-neglect-1.1131585?cache=cacheHiguain%252FRK%253D0%252FRS%253DOTuO.36Vy2Tp

Drunk Cumbrian dad sent to prison for 12 weeks for child neglect

By Phil Coleman
Published at 11:22, Thursday, 24 April 2014

A father has been jailed after police officers found him in an alcoholic stupor while he was supposed to be caring for his young daughter.

The man, who lives in an area south west of Carlisle, was found collapsed and fully clothed on his bed after drinking a huge quantity of cider.

His daughter, who is still at primary school, was the only other person in the house, which was cold, had no food, and was littered with drugs paraphernalia, Carlisle Magistrates’ Court heard.

The child’s plight only came to light thanks to the vigilance of two police officers. During a brief hearing this week, the father, who is in his 30s but cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted a charge of child neglect and possessing the class B drug cannabis. He was jailed for a total of 16 weeks.

Prosecutor John Moran described how at 9.45pm on February 20 the officers spotted the man clearly drunk with his young daughter in the street.

Feeling it was inappropriate to intervene at that stage, PC Paul Atkinson and PC James Thistlethwaite resolved to check on the man and his daughter later that evening, said Mr Moran.

Just after 10.30pm, they visited his house, and went inside to check on him and his daughter.

“He was asleep on his bed, fully clothed, and heavily under the influence of alcohol,” said Mr Moran.

It later emerged that he had consumed between three and four litres of cider and when, after some difficulty, he was eventually roused he became aggressive towards the two officers, the court heard.

After the man was arrested, his daughter was taken to a relative’s house to be cared for.

Magistrates imposed 12 weeks’ jail for the child neglect offence and a further four weeks consecutive for the cannabis possession.

Dad charged in death of 4-month-old son after lesbian adoptive parents forced to return baby (Des Moines, Iowa)

Dad is identified as DREW WEEHLER-SMITH.

http://www.hngn.com/articles/29650/20140424/adoptive-parents-forced-return-baby-learn-died-father-left-alone.htm

Baby Dies In Father's Care After Adoptive Parents Forced To Give Him Up

By Oulimata Ba | Apr 24, 2014 05:28 PM EDT

Father Charged In Infant's Death After Adoptive Parents Forced To Return Baby

A lesbian couple in Iowa that was forced to return their adopted baby boy was stunned when they found out their former son is now dead and the father is charged in his death.

Rachel and Heidi McFarland adopted baby Gabriel from birth, but were forced to return him nearly three months later when the 16-year-old mother changed her mind, The Des Moines Register reported. Now the couple has learned that baby Gabriel was found dead at his parent's apartment on Tuesday. The father, who was caring for the child at the time of his death, was arrested and charged with neglect.

The McFarlands, who live in Ankeny, found out about Gabriel's death while watching the news on TV.

"It's like he's been taken away from you again," Rachel McFarland told the newspaper. "I cut his umbilical cord."

Gabriel's biological mother, Markeya Atkins, agreed to give her son to the McFarlands in September 2013, WHO-TV reported. After he was born the couple took care of Gabriel like he was their own. That ended after two-and-a-half months on March 13, when their attorney told them the mother wanted Gabriel back. According to Iowa law, a mother who gives a child up for adoption has up until three months to change her mind, WHO-TV reported.

"We had to go through our worst possible day with our attorney," Rachel McFarland told the Des Moines Register. "And then we found out on the news today...Nobody called or told me."

On Tuesday afternoon, Atkins left Gabriel with his father, 17-year-old Drew Weehler-Smith, at an apartment on Chaffee Road while she went to the library. Police then received a call from the apartment a little after 8 p.m. about an unresponsive infant, according to police reports obtained by the newspaper.

The mother had returned home to find Gabriel alone, lying in a chair with a white substance around his mouth. The baby was pronounced dead after he was rushed to the hospital. He was four months old.

A friend of Atkins who stopped by the apartment earlier that evening said she saw the father driving away, leaving the baby alone.

Local police later apprehended Weehler-Smith and charged him with neglect of a dependent person. The father could face additional charges pending an autopsy on the child, the newspaper reported.

Custodial dad found guilty in 2005 torture-murder of 5-year-old daughter (Honolulu, Hawaii)

After nine long years, this little girl and her non-custodial mother finally have justice. Her custodial father, an utterly vicious killer, has been convicted in her murder.

Now we wait and see whether NAEEM WILLIAMS gets the death penalty.

There is a long history behind this case. Dad NEVER should have been awarded custody, and there was ample evidence even at the time to demonstrate that. But the idiots in the judiciary who granted this man custody--only for him to torture her until she finally expired--will never face THEIR crimes.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ex-soldier-convicted-5-year-old-daughter-beating-death-hawaii-base-article-1.1768240

Ex-soldier convicted in 5-year-old daughter’s beating death on Hawaii base

Naeem Williams committed the capital offense in a state that doesn't have the death penalty. But because he was on military property, he could still be executed for the heinous 2005 murder.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/ Thursday, April 24, 2014, 7:29 PM .

Former Hawaii soldier Naeem Williams, was convicted of the 2005 murder of his 5-year-old daughter Talia. It's a capital offense in a state that doesn't have the death penalty.

HONOLULU — A federal jury on Thursday convicted a former Hawaii soldier of murder in the beating death of his 5-year-old daughter, a capital offense in a state that doesn’t have the death penalty.

Jurors in Honolulu will now be asked to decide during a penalty phase whether to sentence Naeem Williams to death for killing Talia Williams.

Hawaii abolished capital punishment in 1957. But Williams still faces a possible death sentence because the crime occurred on military property, and he is being tried in the federal system.

The jury found Naeem Williams guilty of all five counts: murder, aiding murder, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements.

The victim’s biological mother, Tarshia Williams, said she was happy with the verdict.

“She can rest now that her killer is guilty of what he did to her,” said Tarshia Williams, who is not married to the defendant but has the same last name because they are distant relatives. “Now my daughter can rest in peace despite all the pain she went through.”

When asked whether Naeem Williams should be put to death, she paused, gathered herself and said: “Whatever they decide.”

The trial’s sentencing phase starts Tuesday.

Naeem Williams’ lawyers left the courthouse without commenting. They had argued in his defense that while Naeem Williams beat Talia, it was unclear whether he caused her July 2005 death.

The trial lasted nearly two months and was filled with graphic testimony about abuses suffered by the child at the hands of her father and stepmother.

Naeem Williams and his wife, Delilah Williams, have acknowledged beating, confining and restraining the girl in the seven months before her death.

Delilah Williams also is charged with murder. She testified for the prosecution as part of a plea deal that calls for a 20-year prison term, but she has not yet been sentenced. She told jurors she once stomped Talia until she felt bone crack.

Naeem Williams testified earlier this month that he beat his daughter often because of her bathroom accidents and because he was taking out his marital frustrations on the child.

He told the jury of seven men and five women that the day Talia died, he had punched her repeatedly after a night of drinking. He struck her so hard in the back that she hit her head on the floor and appeared to have a seizure, he said.

Tarshia Williams, who sat through the entire trial in the courtroom, said she attended every day because her daughter was alone when she went through the abuse.

“I did it for her,” she said.

Hawaii’s history with capital punishment predates statehood. There have been 49 executions in Hawaii, the first in 1856 and the last recorded in 1944, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

The last time the federal death penalty was approved for a Hawaii case was for a drug-related murder. However, the defendant took a plea deal that gave him a life sentence, then died of an apparent suicide about three months later.

Concerns raised three months before dad killed 7-month-old son (United Kingdom)

Notice that in all this rhetoric about the baby's father and "his home," there is absolutely no mention of the mother. She's not cited as a factor in this baby's death one way or another. It's as if she had never existed. What happened to Mum? Is NATHAN PICK a single father?

http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Death-Derby-baby-James-Lee-Riley-Pick-Concerns/story-21006094-detail/story.html

Death of Derby baby: Concerns raised three months before James Lee Riley-Pick died

By Martin_Naylor | Posted: April 24, 2014

A SERIOUS case review into the death of a seven-month-old baby killed by his father in Derby has revealed there were concerns about his safety raised three months before the death.

James Lee Riley-Pick died at his home in Waterford Drive, Chaddesden, on May 8, 2012.

He had suffered serious head injuries and his father, Nathan Pick, 38, pleaded guilty to his manslaughter and was jailed for seven years at Nottingham Crown Court last year.

The review, published by Derby Safeguarding Children Board this morning, says that, in February 2012, James-Lee suffered bruising to his genital area which was highlighted to children’s social care.

The report says: “In February 2012, concerns about his safety were considered by the Family Proceedings Court, following an application for an Emergency Protection Order (EPO).

“The EPO was not granted and the court determined that the injury being considered was accidental.

“The child returned home.

“Shortly after this, in May 2012, he died as a result of internal bleeding caused by a head injury.”

Christine Cassell, chair of the Derby Safeguarding Children Board said: “This is a tragic case of a baby who died as a result of a sudden act by his father which could not have been predicted.

“He was not an invisible child but one who was well known to local agencies during his short life and action was taken to try to protect him.

“The review does not identify major failings of agencies.

“In fact, the review concludes that the practice of professionals was at least competent and, in many cases, good.

“It does describe how agencies were disempowered by a court decision that is very unusual and to our knowledge has not occurred before.

“This had implications for the way professionals felt able to protect this little boy when he returned home.”

Dad charged with abusing infant son; baby now blind and on ventilator (Laurinburg, North Carolina)

Dad is identified as ANDREW MICHAEL OETZEL.

http://robesonian.com/news/news/4549603/Child-faces-hard-future-after-abuse

Child faces hard future after abuse

By Rachel McAuley
1 days 6 hours ago

LAURINBURG — During his first days of life, Charlie Oetzel was like any other normal, healthy baby. He ate, slept and cried. He needed constant attention.

When Audrey Blades noticed that her son had developed a lazy eye and wouldn’t eat, she rushed him to a doctor — and then, for a brain scan.

“The doctor came in and told me had been shaken,” Blades said.

Now, at 4 months old, Charlie requires a ventilator. He is blind and his brain has trouble regulating his body’s temperature.

“It’s life-changing,” Blades said. “Even if he makes a miraculous improvement, my son won’t be the same. His sister won’t be able to play with him the way I played with my brother. We don’t know what he’s going to be capable of — it’s playing the waiting game.”

According to dontshake.org, Shaken Baby Syndrome occurs when an infant or small child hits their head or is violently shaken. Symptoms include irritability, decreased appetite, difficulty breathing, seizures, and an inability for an infant to lift their head or focus their eyes.

Blades hopes her son’s case will inspire others who suspect child abuse to come forward. In 2011, 106 Scotland County children were abused or neglected, according to ncchild.org

“You could save a baby’s life — like Charlie’s — just by speaking up,” Blades said.

Laurinburg police have charged Charlie’s father with felonious child abuse. Andrew Michael Oetzel, 24, was arrested on Feb. 6 and jailed under a $100,000 bond.

“Be very aware,” Blades said. “Very aware. … If you see anything, hear anything — you don’t have to be directly involved, but don’t just sit back.”

Blades has been told that Charlie had been shaken at least twice, but doesn’t know exactly when. She now wishes she had paid more attention to “the little things,” like hearing Oetzel “raise his voice” at Charlie or talk to him “like he was an adult.”

“He wasn’t soft-spoken with the baby or soothing,” Blades said.

A child with Shaken Baby Syndrome can suffer learning, physical, visual, hearing, behavioral and speech impairments. It can lead to cerebral palsy, a loss of motor activity and muscle control, seizures and death.

“I’m glad he’s home because I had to see him every day (at the hospital),” said Pamela Scott, Charlie’s grandmother. “I get upset sometimes because it never should have happened, but as far as Charlie … I’m glad he’s still here.”

Charlie’s hypothalamus, a part of the brain that regulates chemicals and hormones, is injured. Scott said she and Blades had to keep Charlie bundled in hats and blankets to keep him warm.