Interesting that as progressive Arab thinkers reevaluate the wisdom of near automatic father custody, much of the west--due to the pernicious influence of the fathers' rights movement--is pushing us in this dangerous direction. The presumption that the mother is the natural caregiver of the child ("tender years" doctrine) USED to be the the case in the US. But all this disappeared about 30 years ago.
It is ironic indeed that as the notion of "tender years" is being introduced in the middle east as an important reform, it has been systematically destroyed elsewhere.
Abuse by custodial fathers and their new wives/girlfriends is RAMPANT in the middle east. And it's not a just a swat to the behind or a missed meal. Often it's horrific, fatal torture. Mothers don't usually seek divorce in these countries unless there is severe domestic violence.
http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/cultural-shift-for-fair-child-custody-rights
Cultural shift for fair child custody rights
National Editorial
Sep 16, 2012
The UAE's Supreme Court has established that the interests of children come first in decisions regarding custody disputes between divorced parents. In practice, however, this overarching principle is not always applied.
Lower courts in particular appear to favour the father's right of custody, unless a mother can prove he is unfit. And if a divorced mother remarries, judges typically award custody to the father - a practice that is rooted in culture, and not necessarily in Sharia.
As The National reported yesterday, divorced mothers in the UAE often refrain from registering their subsequent marriages to avoid the risk of losing custody of their children from the first marriage.
The legal system does not require custody to be automatically awarded to a father if the mother remarries but, in practice, that is too frequently the case. This needs to change, and there are grounds to do so both in respect to Sharia and UAE civil law.
Each case must be taken on its own merit. In most cases where both parents are deemed fit and want custody, there should be a presumption in favour of the mother, given her role as caregiver - provided the father still has some access. Because custody for the father is almost the default position of the courts, the burden of proof is always on the mother.
There are at least two dangers in this tendency: first, it is often difficult to prove abuse, for example, in cases involving family members. Second, proving a father is not qualified to take care of a child implies a lengthy and costly legal process that mostly mothers would want to avoid.
Culturally, protecting and providing for a child has been the role of a father. But in today's world, where women can be breadwinners, that should not necessarily be the case. And financial support is not all a child needs. It is important for judges to consider the child's interests in terms of care, education and other contributing factors for a healthy environment. In many cases, mothers will be better able to offer these supports.
Of course, a child living with a stepfather is not always a healthy choice; in each case, judges must consider whether a step-parent would treat the child well. That, of course, should be a consideration when a father remarries as well. Mothers have always had a unique role - in today's society, they deserve the same rights as men in custody disputes.
Showing posts with label custody visitation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label custody visitation. Show all posts
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Monday, May 23, 2011
Two-month-old baby dies during dad's visitation (Navarre, Florida)
Yup, daddies are sure discriminated against, aren't they. Daddy DAVID "HAMILTON" COOK obviously had an extensive drug problem, but that didn't keep him from getting overnight visitations with his infant son, who was only 2-months old. Practically a newborn. Just why did these parents split up when the mother was either pregnant or just after birth? Maybe Mom left Dad because of his...um, drug abuse? Or maybe Daddy just decided he liked methadone better than being a family man, and wandered off himself? And then figured he'd better get visitation so he didn't get nailed for too much child support? Who knows, that's not explained here. Interesting.
The whole focus of this article is wrong. Many mothers, especially non-substance abusing nursing moms, sleep with their babies with no problems. The problem here is an impaired, drug-addicted father who was granted visitation with a newborn. Had this moron not smothered this infant, it seems very likely he would have neglected or abused this infant in some other way. But THAT story is not being told here, is it?
Nor is it mentioned that babies don't benefit in any way, shape, or form from overnight visitation. They benefit from consistent, loving care in the hands of their primary caregiver. But that story is being told here either. Why?
http://www.pnj.com/article/20110522/NEWS01/105220318/Bedtime-turned-deadly-infants-Tragic-accident-crime-?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cp
Bedtime turned deadly for infants: Tragic accident or is it a crime?
11:00 PM, May. 21, 2011
Written by Travis Griggs
Bleary-eyed and sleepy, David "Hamilton" Cook awoke at 5:30 a.m. last Sept. 3 to feed formula to his 2-month-old baby, Hayden.
That was the last thing he would recall when Santa Rosa County sheriff's officers interviewed him the next day.
When he got up three hours later, at 8:30 a.m., his blond, blue-eyed baby, who weighed 14 pounds, was dead. He was lying on a futon, his face turned to the side between a pillow and a brown blanket.
The Medical Examiner's Officer would rule the death an accidental asphyxiation as a result of the baby being unable to breathe as he pressed up to the pillow and blanket.
Cook, a Navarre resident who was then 21, was separated and living apart from his wife, Kristin Price-Morgan, then 17, at the time of the baby's death.
It was the second time the young father had kept his son overnight, Price-Morgan said. She said she had insisted the baby sleep in a crib while staying with him.
Cook was tearful as he recounted to officers that he didn't put the baby in the crib, according to a sheriff's report. Instead, he said, he must have fallen asleep with the child on the futon in the same room.
He also admitted that he'd smoked marijuana after leaving work at 5 p.m. the day before.
His urine on the day of the baby's death tested positive for marijuana and methadone, a powerful prescription narcotic, according to the report.
Drug paraphernalia, including marijuana pipes, equipment for snorting crushed pills and an empty prescription bottle, were in the room with the futon and the empty crib, officers also said. The smell of marijuana in the room was strong.
Cook could not be reached for comment about what happened beyond what was reported by the Sheriff's Office.
Weighing charges
A tragedy, to be sure. But was the death more than an accident? Did it cross the line into criminal negligence?
When an infant is suffocated while sleeping, prosecutors often struggle over whether to file charges.
When babies die while co-sleeping with a parent who rolled over on them, should the parent be charged? How about when they suffocate after getting caught under pillows, blankets or other beddings in a crib or a sofa or, in this case, a futon?
The accidental deaths of children, such as in drownings or after being left in hot vehicles, have resulted in manslaughter charges against parents. But so far, no parents in the local area have faced criminal charges from infant deaths due to unsafe sleeping conditions.
State Attorney Bill Eddins said his office, encompassing Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties, has evaluated several infant suffocations.
But he said there's no law against sleeping with a baby or putting a baby on a sofa, and in order to be charged with manslaughter, the parent must have acted with "gross negligence," a legal standard that requires more than simple carelessness.
Last week, after an eight-month investigation, the State Attorney's Office decided it will not charge Cook.
"This was a difficult decision," Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille said. "The individual was sleeping with the child, and at the time he was under the influence of drugs to some extent."
In order to obtain a manslaughter conviction, however, Marcille said the state would have to show that the level of drugs in his system when the death occurred would raise the likelihood that a death or serious injury would occur. Drug paraphernalia and positive drug tests do not meet that standard, Marcille said.
He also said criminal charges in an unsafe sleeping death are problematic because such deaths do not typically meet the "reasonable person" standard, which is required to prove a manslaughter charge.
A reasonable person knows that leaving a child in a hot car is likely to cause death or serious injury, he said. But that same person might not believe that simply sleeping with a baby or allowing a baby to sleep on a sofa can lead to death.
Also, Elise Dawson, child protective investigator supervisor for the Florida Department of Children and Families in Escambia County, said juries are likely to be sympathetic to parents in co-sleeping deaths.
"It's a very socially acceptable thing to sleep with your children," she said. "People are surprised to learn children die in these situations."
Call it a crime?
Hayden's mother, Price-Morgan, and the baby's grandmother, Cynthia Price, fervently believe Cook should have been charged.
"I want a law passed where there can be justice for these babies," Price said. "If someone does drugs or alcohol and passes out on a baby, to me, that's murder.
"It wasn't accidental. It was stupidity. It was recklessness. It should be manslaughter in the least."
Months before the state attorney's decision not to charge Cook, the mother and grandmother started an online campaign, "Justice for Hayden," to rally support for stronger laws against people whose babies die in unsafe sleeping conditions. A website for the effort can be found by searching "Justice Forhayden" on Facebook.com.
They've gathered hundreds of supporting signatures, including those of Escambia County Health Department Director Dr. John Lanza and Medical Examiner Dr. Andrea Minyard.
But they're not sure where to go from here.
"I just wish there was more to do. I don't want him to be free. I want him to pay for what he did," Price-Morgan said.
As medical examiner, Minyard has investigated dozens of suspected smothering deaths. She said she has often been frustrated by state prosecutors not filing criminal charges.
When the issue of unsafe sleeping prosecutions came up at a meeting last month, coalition members' opinions differed on the appropriateness of criminal charges.
"If drugs or alcohol are involved, I have no problem prosecuting," said Pat Williams, a coalition board member and nurse.
"But what if it's legal drugs? What if they have a prescription for pain pills?" countered Debbie Trocki, executive director of the coalition.
"If they are taking that medication, they should know the child should not be in bed with them," Williams said.
"I'd hate to see everyone arrested at a point when they are in so much grief," Trocki said. "You can prosecute a lot of people, but you still need that education."
The question of punishment drew further debate.
The members agreed that unless there's abuse, prison isn't appropriate for a mourning parent after an accidental death. Counseling or recovery programs would be better options.
Williams said punishment isn't the end goal of prosecuting — the bigger reason is to make the public realize how many babies are dying silently from unsafe sleeping conditions.
"It's always been hidden," she said. "We've got to get these deaths out in the community. When a baby drowns in a pool, you hear about it. When a baby is left in a hot car, you hear about it. We've got to get that word out."
The whole focus of this article is wrong. Many mothers, especially non-substance abusing nursing moms, sleep with their babies with no problems. The problem here is an impaired, drug-addicted father who was granted visitation with a newborn. Had this moron not smothered this infant, it seems very likely he would have neglected or abused this infant in some other way. But THAT story is not being told here, is it?
Nor is it mentioned that babies don't benefit in any way, shape, or form from overnight visitation. They benefit from consistent, loving care in the hands of their primary caregiver. But that story is being told here either. Why?
http://www.pnj.com/article/20110522/NEWS01/105220318/Bedtime-turned-deadly-infants-Tragic-accident-crime-?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cp
Bedtime turned deadly for infants: Tragic accident or is it a crime?
11:00 PM, May. 21, 2011
Written by Travis Griggs
Bleary-eyed and sleepy, David "Hamilton" Cook awoke at 5:30 a.m. last Sept. 3 to feed formula to his 2-month-old baby, Hayden.
That was the last thing he would recall when Santa Rosa County sheriff's officers interviewed him the next day.
When he got up three hours later, at 8:30 a.m., his blond, blue-eyed baby, who weighed 14 pounds, was dead. He was lying on a futon, his face turned to the side between a pillow and a brown blanket.
The Medical Examiner's Officer would rule the death an accidental asphyxiation as a result of the baby being unable to breathe as he pressed up to the pillow and blanket.
Cook, a Navarre resident who was then 21, was separated and living apart from his wife, Kristin Price-Morgan, then 17, at the time of the baby's death.
It was the second time the young father had kept his son overnight, Price-Morgan said. She said she had insisted the baby sleep in a crib while staying with him.
Cook was tearful as he recounted to officers that he didn't put the baby in the crib, according to a sheriff's report. Instead, he said, he must have fallen asleep with the child on the futon in the same room.
He also admitted that he'd smoked marijuana after leaving work at 5 p.m. the day before.
His urine on the day of the baby's death tested positive for marijuana and methadone, a powerful prescription narcotic, according to the report.
Drug paraphernalia, including marijuana pipes, equipment for snorting crushed pills and an empty prescription bottle, were in the room with the futon and the empty crib, officers also said. The smell of marijuana in the room was strong.
Cook could not be reached for comment about what happened beyond what was reported by the Sheriff's Office.
Weighing charges
A tragedy, to be sure. But was the death more than an accident? Did it cross the line into criminal negligence?
When an infant is suffocated while sleeping, prosecutors often struggle over whether to file charges.
When babies die while co-sleeping with a parent who rolled over on them, should the parent be charged? How about when they suffocate after getting caught under pillows, blankets or other beddings in a crib or a sofa or, in this case, a futon?
The accidental deaths of children, such as in drownings or after being left in hot vehicles, have resulted in manslaughter charges against parents. But so far, no parents in the local area have faced criminal charges from infant deaths due to unsafe sleeping conditions.
State Attorney Bill Eddins said his office, encompassing Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties, has evaluated several infant suffocations.
But he said there's no law against sleeping with a baby or putting a baby on a sofa, and in order to be charged with manslaughter, the parent must have acted with "gross negligence," a legal standard that requires more than simple carelessness.
Last week, after an eight-month investigation, the State Attorney's Office decided it will not charge Cook.
"This was a difficult decision," Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille said. "The individual was sleeping with the child, and at the time he was under the influence of drugs to some extent."
In order to obtain a manslaughter conviction, however, Marcille said the state would have to show that the level of drugs in his system when the death occurred would raise the likelihood that a death or serious injury would occur. Drug paraphernalia and positive drug tests do not meet that standard, Marcille said.
He also said criminal charges in an unsafe sleeping death are problematic because such deaths do not typically meet the "reasonable person" standard, which is required to prove a manslaughter charge.
A reasonable person knows that leaving a child in a hot car is likely to cause death or serious injury, he said. But that same person might not believe that simply sleeping with a baby or allowing a baby to sleep on a sofa can lead to death.
Also, Elise Dawson, child protective investigator supervisor for the Florida Department of Children and Families in Escambia County, said juries are likely to be sympathetic to parents in co-sleeping deaths.
"It's a very socially acceptable thing to sleep with your children," she said. "People are surprised to learn children die in these situations."
Call it a crime?
Hayden's mother, Price-Morgan, and the baby's grandmother, Cynthia Price, fervently believe Cook should have been charged.
"I want a law passed where there can be justice for these babies," Price said. "If someone does drugs or alcohol and passes out on a baby, to me, that's murder.
"It wasn't accidental. It was stupidity. It was recklessness. It should be manslaughter in the least."
Months before the state attorney's decision not to charge Cook, the mother and grandmother started an online campaign, "Justice for Hayden," to rally support for stronger laws against people whose babies die in unsafe sleeping conditions. A website for the effort can be found by searching "Justice Forhayden" on Facebook.com.
They've gathered hundreds of supporting signatures, including those of Escambia County Health Department Director Dr. John Lanza and Medical Examiner Dr. Andrea Minyard.
But they're not sure where to go from here.
"I just wish there was more to do. I don't want him to be free. I want him to pay for what he did," Price-Morgan said.
As medical examiner, Minyard has investigated dozens of suspected smothering deaths. She said she has often been frustrated by state prosecutors not filing criminal charges.
"They have made their position very clear that it's not against the law to sleep with your baby, and there's not anything they can do about it," Minyard said Spreading the word
One group looking to spread the word is the Escambia County Healthy Start Coalition. The organization educates and counsels at-risk parents, and its nurses visit parents at home during pregnancy and after birth.When the issue of unsafe sleeping prosecutions came up at a meeting last month, coalition members' opinions differed on the appropriateness of criminal charges.
"If drugs or alcohol are involved, I have no problem prosecuting," said Pat Williams, a coalition board member and nurse.
"But what if it's legal drugs? What if they have a prescription for pain pills?" countered Debbie Trocki, executive director of the coalition.
"If they are taking that medication, they should know the child should not be in bed with them," Williams said.
"I'd hate to see everyone arrested at a point when they are in so much grief," Trocki said. "You can prosecute a lot of people, but you still need that education."
The question of punishment drew further debate.
The members agreed that unless there's abuse, prison isn't appropriate for a mourning parent after an accidental death. Counseling or recovery programs would be better options.
Williams said punishment isn't the end goal of prosecuting — the bigger reason is to make the public realize how many babies are dying silently from unsafe sleeping conditions.
"It's always been hidden," she said. "We've got to get these deaths out in the community. When a baby drowns in a pool, you hear about it. When a baby is left in a hot car, you hear about it. We've got to get that word out."
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Custodial dad charged with murdering kids, dumping their bodies in canal; also charged with the murder of their mother (West Palm Beach, Florida)
I can't tell you how many abusive fathers get custody in just this way. With the surefire cockiness of a socipath, they boast to the judge of their superior "parenting skills." Oh yes, indeedy! They're "hard working" and "involved"! While that b**** of a mother is an irresponsible, druggie, welfare queen!
Of course this plays into every stereotype of single moms (note Mike Huckabee's recent tirade against Natalie Portman and other unmarried mothers), so the Judge nods along and grants Daddy custody. Doesn't matter that Mom denies the allegations. Everybody knows all those scummy single moms are liars. And daddies never, ever lie! We know this, because the fathers rights people told us so at our last workshop training!
But then, guess what? It was all bullsh**. Like most control freak abuser daddies, dad CLEM BEAUCHAMP shut off the mom's visitation (funny, the fathers rights people tell us that only "alienator" moms "gatekeep" in that way). The judge (reluctantly, I suppose) order the kids back into Mom's custody. Why? Because Daddy was "manipulative" and "controlling" (Ya think?).
Anyway, this was all with girlfriend Michelle Dent's kids. Then there was the matter of former girlfriend Felicia Brown's kids. Brown had inexplicably "disappeared," so the kids ended up with Beauchamp. And then the kids "disappeared."
Utterly classic portrait of an killer father. Why don't the judges get this? Or do they just not give a sh**?
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hibUkVOuBVECLaOuLxIF50aZdN3A?docId=336af58bdc1b4db08e9da5a736e41713
No bond for suspect in case of kids left in canal
(AP) – 5 hours ago
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A man boasted of his parenting skills to a judge more than two years before being investigated in the killings of two young children whose bodies were found stuffed in luggage and dumped into a canal and in the death of their mother.
Clem Beauchamp's testimony and that of his then-girlfriend, whose body was found months before those of her son and daughter, was enough to convince a judge to allow his children from a previous relationship to live with him, before changing his mind a year later.
Now those children are in the state's hands as authorities work toward charging Beauchamp in the deaths of 25-year-old Felicia Brown, and her children, 10-year-old Jermaine McNeil and 6-year-old Ju'tyra Allen.
A judge ordered Beauchamp, 34, held without bond on a firearms charge unrelated to the deaths. U.S. Magistrate Judge Linnea Johnson refused to appoint a public defender, saying Beauchamp must use his home equity to pay for a lawyer.
Beauchamp's sister attended the hearing but declined comment.
The children's bodies were found in separate bags in a Delray Beach canal last week. Their mother's body was found last August in a landfill, but was unidentified until last week.
Years before, in an Aug. 26, 2008, hearing in West Palm Beach, Beauchamp, now 34, described himself as a hard-working, involved father who dropped his children off at school and helped them with their education.
"I'm there to make sure they do their homework, to give them the proper guidance that they would need to succeed in life," he told the judge. "Being a father means more than just making the kid. You actually got to be there for them. And I'm prepared to do all that."
Beauchamp described his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Michelle Dent, as irresponsible, saying she often went missing, used drugs, and concocted a mental disability for a son to take advantage of Social Security benefits. Dent denied all the accusations.
"I've been nothing but a good father to my kids," he said.
Brown, too, talked highly of Beauchamp when he called her as a witness.
"He gave you chance after chance, you know, to change and do things better," Brown told Dent at the hearing.
She continued: "He was tired of them being outside all times of night. Tired of him trying to take them home and no one is there. Tired of them crying and complaining about they're hungry."
The judge agreed, saying the children should live with Beauchamp, and ordered that he no longer pay Dent child support.
But after about a year, when he failed to follow the order to allow the children to see their mother on the weekends, the court reversed its decision, saying they should live with their mother.
In an order on July 22, the court said Beauchamp was "willing to manipulate the stability of his children" and was not acting "in the best interest of his children rather than acting upon his need to be able to control whatever situation he wants to control."
The order didn't last long. Brown soon disappeared — Beauchamp told neighbors she was in jail — and neighbors said Dent began staying at his home with their children and Brown's children. Dent's children are now in state custody.
Hundreds of pages of testimony and other documents from the custody battle offer morsels of other information about Beauchamp, his complicated web of relationships and the series of crimes both he and the women in his life were accused of committing.
Beauchamp told the judge he worked an overnight shift for about four years at a Walmart, but was fired in February 2006 after falling asleep in his car while on a break. He said he later worked as a landscaper and car detailer.
He was just 16 when his son was born and Dent was only 13. They broke up in 2004, but "we still was sneaking and seeing each other," Dent said. He considered himself the disciplinarian, concerned by his daughter's provocative dancing and short skirts and the prospects of his son, who he said was on the path to being a drug dealer.
He sometimes fell behind on child support payments for months, Dent said. And she accused him of using drugs, despite his denials, saying "he smoke weed and it be everywhere in his house."
Still, neighbors said he appeared to be a good dad, often seen tossing a football with his son in the street. And even the woman he was fighting for custody didn't deny his love for his children.
"I never kept my kids away from him because I know he love them and they love him, too," Dent said.
Of course this plays into every stereotype of single moms (note Mike Huckabee's recent tirade against Natalie Portman and other unmarried mothers), so the Judge nods along and grants Daddy custody. Doesn't matter that Mom denies the allegations. Everybody knows all those scummy single moms are liars. And daddies never, ever lie! We know this, because the fathers rights people told us so at our last workshop training!
But then, guess what? It was all bullsh**. Like most control freak abuser daddies, dad CLEM BEAUCHAMP shut off the mom's visitation (funny, the fathers rights people tell us that only "alienator" moms "gatekeep" in that way). The judge (reluctantly, I suppose) order the kids back into Mom's custody. Why? Because Daddy was "manipulative" and "controlling" (Ya think?).
Anyway, this was all with girlfriend Michelle Dent's kids. Then there was the matter of former girlfriend Felicia Brown's kids. Brown had inexplicably "disappeared," so the kids ended up with Beauchamp. And then the kids "disappeared."
Utterly classic portrait of an killer father. Why don't the judges get this? Or do they just not give a sh**?
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hibUkVOuBVECLaOuLxIF50aZdN3A?docId=336af58bdc1b4db08e9da5a736e41713
No bond for suspect in case of kids left in canal
(AP) – 5 hours ago
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A man boasted of his parenting skills to a judge more than two years before being investigated in the killings of two young children whose bodies were found stuffed in luggage and dumped into a canal and in the death of their mother.
Clem Beauchamp's testimony and that of his then-girlfriend, whose body was found months before those of her son and daughter, was enough to convince a judge to allow his children from a previous relationship to live with him, before changing his mind a year later.
Now those children are in the state's hands as authorities work toward charging Beauchamp in the deaths of 25-year-old Felicia Brown, and her children, 10-year-old Jermaine McNeil and 6-year-old Ju'tyra Allen.
A judge ordered Beauchamp, 34, held without bond on a firearms charge unrelated to the deaths. U.S. Magistrate Judge Linnea Johnson refused to appoint a public defender, saying Beauchamp must use his home equity to pay for a lawyer.
Beauchamp's sister attended the hearing but declined comment.
The children's bodies were found in separate bags in a Delray Beach canal last week. Their mother's body was found last August in a landfill, but was unidentified until last week.
Years before, in an Aug. 26, 2008, hearing in West Palm Beach, Beauchamp, now 34, described himself as a hard-working, involved father who dropped his children off at school and helped them with their education.
"I'm there to make sure they do their homework, to give them the proper guidance that they would need to succeed in life," he told the judge. "Being a father means more than just making the kid. You actually got to be there for them. And I'm prepared to do all that."
Beauchamp described his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Michelle Dent, as irresponsible, saying she often went missing, used drugs, and concocted a mental disability for a son to take advantage of Social Security benefits. Dent denied all the accusations.
"I've been nothing but a good father to my kids," he said.
Brown, too, talked highly of Beauchamp when he called her as a witness.
"He gave you chance after chance, you know, to change and do things better," Brown told Dent at the hearing.
She continued: "He was tired of them being outside all times of night. Tired of him trying to take them home and no one is there. Tired of them crying and complaining about they're hungry."
The judge agreed, saying the children should live with Beauchamp, and ordered that he no longer pay Dent child support.
But after about a year, when he failed to follow the order to allow the children to see their mother on the weekends, the court reversed its decision, saying they should live with their mother.
In an order on July 22, the court said Beauchamp was "willing to manipulate the stability of his children" and was not acting "in the best interest of his children rather than acting upon his need to be able to control whatever situation he wants to control."
The order didn't last long. Brown soon disappeared — Beauchamp told neighbors she was in jail — and neighbors said Dent began staying at his home with their children and Brown's children. Dent's children are now in state custody.
Hundreds of pages of testimony and other documents from the custody battle offer morsels of other information about Beauchamp, his complicated web of relationships and the series of crimes both he and the women in his life were accused of committing.
Beauchamp told the judge he worked an overnight shift for about four years at a Walmart, but was fired in February 2006 after falling asleep in his car while on a break. He said he later worked as a landscaper and car detailer.
He was just 16 when his son was born and Dent was only 13. They broke up in 2004, but "we still was sneaking and seeing each other," Dent said. He considered himself the disciplinarian, concerned by his daughter's provocative dancing and short skirts and the prospects of his son, who he said was on the path to being a drug dealer.
He sometimes fell behind on child support payments for months, Dent said. And she accused him of using drugs, despite his denials, saying "he smoke weed and it be everywhere in his house."
Still, neighbors said he appeared to be a good dad, often seen tossing a football with his son in the street. And even the woman he was fighting for custody didn't deny his love for his children.
"I never kept my kids away from him because I know he love them and they love him, too," Dent said.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Step convicted of manslaughter; 21-month-old boy killed during dad's "custodial visit" (Elmira, New York)
Compare this post to the one directly below. In this post you'll see that the step "mom" was just convicted of manslaughter in the death of her husband's 21-month-old son, who was killed during Dad's custodial visit. However, there isn't one word hinting that the father was responsible for leaving the baby in the care of a mentally unstable caretaker (note that she had just gone off her medications for an unspecified mental health condition). And notice that this woman claims she just wanted to "poison" (not kill) the boy, so SHE AND DADDY COULD TAKE CUSTODY AWAY FROM MOM by blaming her for the boy's condition. Are we to assume Daddy didn't know of or even encourage her fantasies in any way? Hmm. But either way, he's treated as a wide-eyed innocent in the affair.
Contrast this case to the post below this one. A mom is charged when a father with a history of violence kills her child. It seems to me that her options for protecting this child were probably fewer than the options of the father above. And yet she's being held "responsible" and going to trial on child endangering charges, while the father above is not. This is a complete double standard of parental accountability--that moms are responsible for their male partner's violence against their kids--even when they are also being threatened or battered, while fathers are never responsible for leaving their kids in the care of a crazy, delusional girlfriend or mom who hurts or kills them. Why is that?
http://www.stargazette.com/article/20101206/NEWS01/12060360/Woman+gets+20+years+in+poisoning+death+of+stepson
Woman gets 20 years in poisoning death of stepson
Staff report • December 6, 2010, 8:05 pm
The father of the boy fatally poisoned by an Elmira woman was not satisfied with the prison sentence handed down to her Monday in Chemung County Court.
Judge Peter C. Buckley sentenced Melissa Engelhardt, 24, to 20 years in state prison followed by five years of post-release supervision. In a bench trial in October, Buckley ruled Engelhardt was guilty of first-degree manslaughter and not guilty of second-degree murder in the Nov. 10, 2009, death of her stepson, 21-month-old Andrew J. Cianfrini of Batavia.
"I still don't think 20 years is long enough. I'm just glad she'll never see my children again," George Engelhardt, Melissa's husband, told WENY-TV after the sentencing.
The toddler was on a custodial visit to his father in Elmira when Melissa Engelhardt poured windshield washer fluid mixed with a sweet beverage into the boy's sippy cup. The boy died of methanol poisoning; methanol is a component in some windshield washer fluids, as well as antifreeze.
Melissa and George Engelhardt have one natural child, born before the October trial.
A girl younger than age 5 also was removed from the Engelhardt home by Child Protective Services when Melissa Engelhardt was initially charged.
Melissa Engelhardt cried in the courtroom as Andrew's mother, Kristen Cianfrini, and grandparents read statements to the court.
Outside the courthouse, Cianfrini said of the sentence:
"It's better than I figured it was going to be on the way that he sentenced her to only manslaughter. It's not 25 (years); it's not life, but at least her kids will be old enough to know why she wasn't there and what she did," Cianfrini said.
In deciding the sentence, Buckley told the courtroom he factored in Engelhardt's history of mental health issues and the fact that she did not take her medication at the time the crime was committed.
She told Elmira police investigators she didn't intend to kill the child.
"I didn't want him to die," Engelhardt said in the statement. "I just wanted to make him sick."
Engelhardt said she wanted to blame Andrew's mother for the poisoning to help her and George Engelhardt gain custody of the child.
More than a dozen witnesses testified during the two-day trial, including a toxicologist, a computer forensics expert and the child's biological parents.
Engelhardt faced a maximum sentence of 25 years.
Contrast this case to the post below this one. A mom is charged when a father with a history of violence kills her child. It seems to me that her options for protecting this child were probably fewer than the options of the father above. And yet she's being held "responsible" and going to trial on child endangering charges, while the father above is not. This is a complete double standard of parental accountability--that moms are responsible for their male partner's violence against their kids--even when they are also being threatened or battered, while fathers are never responsible for leaving their kids in the care of a crazy, delusional girlfriend or mom who hurts or kills them. Why is that?
http://www.stargazette.com/article/20101206/NEWS01/12060360/Woman+gets+20+years+in+poisoning+death+of+stepson
Woman gets 20 years in poisoning death of stepson
Staff report • December 6, 2010, 8:05 pm
The father of the boy fatally poisoned by an Elmira woman was not satisfied with the prison sentence handed down to her Monday in Chemung County Court.
Judge Peter C. Buckley sentenced Melissa Engelhardt, 24, to 20 years in state prison followed by five years of post-release supervision. In a bench trial in October, Buckley ruled Engelhardt was guilty of first-degree manslaughter and not guilty of second-degree murder in the Nov. 10, 2009, death of her stepson, 21-month-old Andrew J. Cianfrini of Batavia.
"I still don't think 20 years is long enough. I'm just glad she'll never see my children again," George Engelhardt, Melissa's husband, told WENY-TV after the sentencing.
The toddler was on a custodial visit to his father in Elmira when Melissa Engelhardt poured windshield washer fluid mixed with a sweet beverage into the boy's sippy cup. The boy died of methanol poisoning; methanol is a component in some windshield washer fluids, as well as antifreeze.
Melissa and George Engelhardt have one natural child, born before the October trial.
A girl younger than age 5 also was removed from the Engelhardt home by Child Protective Services when Melissa Engelhardt was initially charged.
Melissa Engelhardt cried in the courtroom as Andrew's mother, Kristen Cianfrini, and grandparents read statements to the court.
Outside the courthouse, Cianfrini said of the sentence:
"It's better than I figured it was going to be on the way that he sentenced her to only manslaughter. It's not 25 (years); it's not life, but at least her kids will be old enough to know why she wasn't there and what she did," Cianfrini said.
In deciding the sentence, Buckley told the courtroom he factored in Engelhardt's history of mental health issues and the fact that she did not take her medication at the time the crime was committed.
She told Elmira police investigators she didn't intend to kill the child.
"I didn't want him to die," Engelhardt said in the statement. "I just wanted to make him sick."
Engelhardt said she wanted to blame Andrew's mother for the poisoning to help her and George Engelhardt gain custody of the child.
More than a dozen witnesses testified during the two-day trial, including a toxicologist, a computer forensics expert and the child's biological parents.
Engelhardt faced a maximum sentence of 25 years.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Mothers aren't kidnappers, they're victims deprived of their children (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Kudos to Haya Al-Manie for a very brave article. Mothers in the Mideast have almost no rights. And unfortunately, we seem to be seeing a worldwide race to the bottom on these issues thanks to a now international fathers rights movement.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article204820.ece
Local Press: Mothers stealing own children
By HAYA AL-MANIE AL-RIYADH
Published: Nov 30, 2010 23:36 Updated: Nov 30, 2010 23:36
FROM time to time, newspapers report stories about children who go missing.
Then days later, we hear reports of the child being found with his mother who “kidnapped” him before he is reunited with his father. These types of stories crop up from time to time.
The problem lies in the reason of why the mother kidnapped the child. I would not call it a kidnapping because the mother is not the criminal in this case, but the victim.
Yes, she is a victim when she is deprived of the right to see her children. The mother will do anything to see her children even if that means storming into schools with a machine gun, just like what one did recently in Hail.
This problem will not be solved by returning the child to his father. We need a system that gives rights to the mother enabling her to see her child and fulfill her duties.
Consideration of the children’s needs after a divorce is totally absent. This points to the urgent need of having a clear law that specifies the parents’ custody rights over their children after divorce. This law should consider the child first and foremost.
Depriving the mother of the right to see her child simply because she asked for a divorce totally goes against Islam.
I am sure the psychological condition of the child is a matter of concern and that he lives in fear of the father, especially if he has been taken away from his mother. It beggars belief that a mother took the extreme measure of storming into an elementary school with a machine gun to see her child.
This shows how desperate the mother is to see her child thanks to her ex-husband. Government agencies have a responsibility to protect the mother and the child.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article204820.ece
Local Press: Mothers stealing own children
By HAYA AL-MANIE AL-RIYADH
Published: Nov 30, 2010 23:36 Updated: Nov 30, 2010 23:36
FROM time to time, newspapers report stories about children who go missing.
Then days later, we hear reports of the child being found with his mother who “kidnapped” him before he is reunited with his father. These types of stories crop up from time to time.
The problem lies in the reason of why the mother kidnapped the child. I would not call it a kidnapping because the mother is not the criminal in this case, but the victim.
Yes, she is a victim when she is deprived of the right to see her children. The mother will do anything to see her children even if that means storming into schools with a machine gun, just like what one did recently in Hail.
This problem will not be solved by returning the child to his father. We need a system that gives rights to the mother enabling her to see her child and fulfill her duties.
Consideration of the children’s needs after a divorce is totally absent. This points to the urgent need of having a clear law that specifies the parents’ custody rights over their children after divorce. This law should consider the child first and foremost.
Depriving the mother of the right to see her child simply because she asked for a divorce totally goes against Islam.
I am sure the psychological condition of the child is a matter of concern and that he lives in fear of the father, especially if he has been taken away from his mother. It beggars belief that a mother took the extreme measure of storming into an elementary school with a machine gun to see her child.
This shows how desperate the mother is to see her child thanks to her ex-husband. Government agencies have a responsibility to protect the mother and the child.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Custodial granddad murders 6-year-old granddaughter, his wife; in "custody battle" with granddaughter's mom (Westmont, Illinois)
Same old crap.
I don't know how or why the grandparents managed to wrestle custody of their 6-year-old granddaughter from their own daughter. Sometimes there are decent reasons (drug abuse, serious or persistent mental illness). Sometimes it's just the same power and control thing you see in a lot of these cases. Sometimes they just wanted to punish Mom for not kowtowing to their wishes in every respect. And if you're good buddies with the local judge--or your lawyer is--it's especially easy to take custody for basically bogus reasons.
Given that granddad MARK J. CHAPMAN felt entitled enough to blow a way a 6-year-old child with multiple gun shots--rather than risk to the possibility of losing his control and having the child return to her mother--I'm inclined to think abuser control freak.
And please. Why must we interview the Clueless Neighbors who usually have no idea what people are really like? This grandfather mowed down and murdered two innocent people in cold blood. Since when does that make him "very nice" or loving? Had this man murdered two people on the streets or at work in exactly the same way, the media would not be seeking out stupid people to confirm how "nice" the killer is (or was). But there's this unacknowledged patriarchal assumption, see. It it's YOUR womenfolk or children, it's "understandable" and you get a pass. Barf.
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/westmont/features/x842513731/Police-indicate-custody-battle-was-at-heart-of-Westmont-murder-suicide
Police indicate custody battle was at heart of Westmont murder-suicide
Julia Moore, 6, of Westmont, was killed along with her grandparents in what police claim was a murder-suicide. Her grandfather, Mark J. Chapman, admitted to the killings in a suicide note found at the scene.
By Dave Heitz, dheitz@mysuburbanlife.com
Suburban Life Publications
Posted Nov 22, 2010 @ 03:26 PM
Westmont, IL — Westmont Police said the deaths of three people that were found in their apartment on Friday were the results of a murder suicide involving a 6-year-old child and her grandparents that may have occurred because of a custody dispute.
In autopsies done on Saturday, Nov. 20, the DuPage County Coroner’s Office ruled that Mark J. Chapman, 50, suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, and his wife, Linda E. Brennan 51, and Julia A. Moore, 6, were each killed by multiple gunshots in their apartment along the 500 block of W. 61st Street.
Moore was the granddaughter of Chapman and Brennan and was living with them at the time of the shootings, police said.
Moore attended El Sierra School in Downers Grove. Downers Grove Grade School District 58 superintendent Paul Zaander said Moore was “a delightful little girl, and we will miss her dearly.”
There are no plans at this point for any kind of memorial service for Moore by the school, Zaander said.
Police said a handwritten note was recovered at the scene that appears to have been written by Chapman in which he admitted that he killed his wife and granddaughter, and then himself.
While police said the case is still under investigation, and are not certain of a motive at this time, they did indicate there was a custody battle involving the child between the child’s mother and the grandparents which may have contributed to the incident.
“There is a custody dispute that has been underway in the DuPage County Circuit Court,” Deputy Police Chief Jim Gunther said on Monday, Nov. 22. “The grandparents were legal guardians of the child since 2007.”
Police responded to a well-being check at about 10 a.m. Nov. 19 at the apartment when they discovered the bodies. All three were pronounced dead at the scene.
Gunther said police do not know exactly when the shootings took place.
“We are looking at a window between 1 a.m. Tuesday morning and 1 a.m. Wednesday morning,” Gunther said.
Police said there was no sings of forced entry or any struggle and the weapon that police believe was used was found at the scene. Both Chapman and Brennan were found in the living room, and the child’s body was found in bed in her bedroom.
Frank Slowik, a resident who lives in a neighboring apartment unit, said he heard noises about 1 a.m. Wednesday that could have been gunshots, but did not call police at the time.
“It was very quick, and I didn’t know what to think about it at the time,” he said.
Slowik said he knew the victims very well. He described the family as being “very nice people” and said he never heard any suspicious activity in the apartment before that.
“I know they loved their granddaughter very much,” Slowik said.
I don't know how or why the grandparents managed to wrestle custody of their 6-year-old granddaughter from their own daughter. Sometimes there are decent reasons (drug abuse, serious or persistent mental illness). Sometimes it's just the same power and control thing you see in a lot of these cases. Sometimes they just wanted to punish Mom for not kowtowing to their wishes in every respect. And if you're good buddies with the local judge--or your lawyer is--it's especially easy to take custody for basically bogus reasons.
Given that granddad MARK J. CHAPMAN felt entitled enough to blow a way a 6-year-old child with multiple gun shots--rather than risk to the possibility of losing his control and having the child return to her mother--I'm inclined to think abuser control freak.
And please. Why must we interview the Clueless Neighbors who usually have no idea what people are really like? This grandfather mowed down and murdered two innocent people in cold blood. Since when does that make him "very nice" or loving? Had this man murdered two people on the streets or at work in exactly the same way, the media would not be seeking out stupid people to confirm how "nice" the killer is (or was). But there's this unacknowledged patriarchal assumption, see. It it's YOUR womenfolk or children, it's "understandable" and you get a pass. Barf.
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/westmont/features/x842513731/Police-indicate-custody-battle-was-at-heart-of-Westmont-murder-suicide
Police indicate custody battle was at heart of Westmont murder-suicide
Julia Moore, 6, of Westmont, was killed along with her grandparents in what police claim was a murder-suicide. Her grandfather, Mark J. Chapman, admitted to the killings in a suicide note found at the scene.
By Dave Heitz, dheitz@mysuburbanlife.com
Suburban Life Publications
Posted Nov 22, 2010 @ 03:26 PM
Westmont, IL — Westmont Police said the deaths of three people that were found in their apartment on Friday were the results of a murder suicide involving a 6-year-old child and her grandparents that may have occurred because of a custody dispute.
In autopsies done on Saturday, Nov. 20, the DuPage County Coroner’s Office ruled that Mark J. Chapman, 50, suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, and his wife, Linda E. Brennan 51, and Julia A. Moore, 6, were each killed by multiple gunshots in their apartment along the 500 block of W. 61st Street.
Moore was the granddaughter of Chapman and Brennan and was living with them at the time of the shootings, police said.
Moore attended El Sierra School in Downers Grove. Downers Grove Grade School District 58 superintendent Paul Zaander said Moore was “a delightful little girl, and we will miss her dearly.”
There are no plans at this point for any kind of memorial service for Moore by the school, Zaander said.
Police said a handwritten note was recovered at the scene that appears to have been written by Chapman in which he admitted that he killed his wife and granddaughter, and then himself.
While police said the case is still under investigation, and are not certain of a motive at this time, they did indicate there was a custody battle involving the child between the child’s mother and the grandparents which may have contributed to the incident.
“There is a custody dispute that has been underway in the DuPage County Circuit Court,” Deputy Police Chief Jim Gunther said on Monday, Nov. 22. “The grandparents were legal guardians of the child since 2007.”
Police responded to a well-being check at about 10 a.m. Nov. 19 at the apartment when they discovered the bodies. All three were pronounced dead at the scene.
Gunther said police do not know exactly when the shootings took place.
“We are looking at a window between 1 a.m. Tuesday morning and 1 a.m. Wednesday morning,” Gunther said.
Police said there was no sings of forced entry or any struggle and the weapon that police believe was used was found at the scene. Both Chapman and Brennan were found in the living room, and the child’s body was found in bed in her bedroom.
Frank Slowik, a resident who lives in a neighboring apartment unit, said he heard noises about 1 a.m. Wednesday that could have been gunshots, but did not call police at the time.
“It was very quick, and I didn’t know what to think about it at the time,” he said.
Slowik said he knew the victims very well. He described the family as being “very nice people” and said he never heard any suspicious activity in the apartment before that.
“I know they loved their granddaughter very much,” Slowik said.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Dad with SOLE CUSTODY sentenced to life for murder of 22-month-old daughter (Jacksonville, Florida)
We've posted on dad JOSI HALL before. How he managed to hoodwink all these CPS people into thinking he was the "safe" parent, and that the baby's mother was the dangerous one. How the mother ultimately became discouraged, and gave up her parental rights. How Dad gets sole custody, and within 4 MONTHS, this @$$wipe has viciously murdered this little girl. He freaking hit her so hard her heart ruptured. Disgusting.
So who messed up?
1) The court-appointed advocate who only met with the father 3 or 4 times, and didn't even bother to show up at the custody determination hearing.
2) Caseworkers at Jewish Family and Community Services who had concerns about returning the child to her father, but did not fight to keep the child away from him.
3) And of course nobody but nobody at Florida DCFS was ever fired or disciplined for their rampant mismanagement of this case. No, we have all the usual new guidelines (yada, yada--like we do after every one of these fiascos) which will mean nothing.
http://www.news4jax.com/news/23684569/detail.html
Dad Sentenced To Life For Girl's Death
POSTED: Wednesday, May 26, 2010
UPDATED: 4:00 pm EDT May 26, 2010
Josi Hall was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A father convicted of killing his 22-month-old daughter was sentenced Wednesday to spend the rest of his life in prison.
Josi Hall, 25, was arrested several months after his daughter, Kyla, was found dead in the bedroom of his San Pablo Road apartment. The toddler was hit so hard in the chest that her heart ruptured.
Hall was convicted last month of second-degree murder.
After hearing victim impact statements, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Senterfitt announced Hall would be sent to prison for life.
Kyla Joy Hall at 3 months old, when the Florida Department of Children and Families investigated allegations of child abuse against her parents. Those charges were dropped when Kyla's mother voluntarily gave up her parental rights. After the hearing, Hall's sister called the verdict and sentence "bogus," and said there will be a "strong appeal."
"Justice was not served for my niece," Sasha Hall said. "There's a monster walking around and there's a innocent man going to prison."
Channel 4 has learned that Hall and Kyla's mother were both arrested in April 2007 during a previous investigation into abuse when Kyla was an infant. Investigators said they found that Kyla's legs broken, her wrist and left foot fractured and her skull fractured. All the injuries were in various stages of healing.
Those charges were dropped due to lack of evidence.
Kyla's mom gave up her parental rights and the girl was put in foster care. Kyla was returned to Josi Hall's custody four months before she died.
Channel 4's Jennifer Waugh looked into that first Department of Children and Families investigation and learned that the child's court-appointed advocate only met with Josi Hall three or four times and didn't show up at the court hearing where Kyla's custody was determined.
The case file also shows that workers with Jewish Family and Community Services, who cared for Kyla while she was in state custody, were against returning the child to her father, but they did not fight to keep her away from Hall.
Waugh said no one was ever fired or disciplined for the way Kyla's case was handled, but new guidelines were released by DCF calling for more unannounced visits, more documentation about recommendations and a meeting of everyone involved in a child welfare investigation before reunification.
Previous Stories:
April 23, 2010: Jury Convicts Dad Of Killing Daughter
April 22, 2010: Father On Trial In Toddler's Death
March 20, 2009: Father Charged With Murder In Toddler's Death
So who messed up?
1) The court-appointed advocate who only met with the father 3 or 4 times, and didn't even bother to show up at the custody determination hearing.
2) Caseworkers at Jewish Family and Community Services who had concerns about returning the child to her father, but did not fight to keep the child away from him.
3) And of course nobody but nobody at Florida DCFS was ever fired or disciplined for their rampant mismanagement of this case. No, we have all the usual new guidelines (yada, yada--like we do after every one of these fiascos) which will mean nothing.
http://www.news4jax.com/news/23684569/detail.html
Dad Sentenced To Life For Girl's Death
POSTED: Wednesday, May 26, 2010
UPDATED: 4:00 pm EDT May 26, 2010
Josi Hall was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A father convicted of killing his 22-month-old daughter was sentenced Wednesday to spend the rest of his life in prison.
Josi Hall, 25, was arrested several months after his daughter, Kyla, was found dead in the bedroom of his San Pablo Road apartment. The toddler was hit so hard in the chest that her heart ruptured.
Hall was convicted last month of second-degree murder.
After hearing victim impact statements, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Senterfitt announced Hall would be sent to prison for life.
Kyla Joy Hall at 3 months old, when the Florida Department of Children and Families investigated allegations of child abuse against her parents. Those charges were dropped when Kyla's mother voluntarily gave up her parental rights. After the hearing, Hall's sister called the verdict and sentence "bogus," and said there will be a "strong appeal."
"Justice was not served for my niece," Sasha Hall said. "There's a monster walking around and there's a innocent man going to prison."
Channel 4 has learned that Hall and Kyla's mother were both arrested in April 2007 during a previous investigation into abuse when Kyla was an infant. Investigators said they found that Kyla's legs broken, her wrist and left foot fractured and her skull fractured. All the injuries were in various stages of healing.
Those charges were dropped due to lack of evidence.
Kyla's mom gave up her parental rights and the girl was put in foster care. Kyla was returned to Josi Hall's custody four months before she died.
Channel 4's Jennifer Waugh looked into that first Department of Children and Families investigation and learned that the child's court-appointed advocate only met with Josi Hall three or four times and didn't show up at the court hearing where Kyla's custody was determined.
The case file also shows that workers with Jewish Family and Community Services, who cared for Kyla while she was in state custody, were against returning the child to her father, but they did not fight to keep her away from Hall.
Waugh said no one was ever fired or disciplined for the way Kyla's case was handled, but new guidelines were released by DCF calling for more unannounced visits, more documentation about recommendations and a meeting of everyone involved in a child welfare investigation before reunification.
Previous Stories:
April 23, 2010: Jury Convicts Dad Of Killing Daughter
April 22, 2010: Father On Trial In Toddler's Death
March 20, 2009: Father Charged With Murder In Toddler's Death
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