Monday, June 30, 2014

Custodial dad, step charged in death of 2-year-old daughter (Stockton, California)

We've posted on custodial dad DWIGHT SLAY before. There were multiple reports of child abuse to the authorities, all ignored. But there is still a lot of back story that's not being told.

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140630/A_NEWS/140639984

Pair charged in death of 2-year-old plead not guilty at court hearing

By The Record June 30, 2014 4:00 PM

STOCKTON -- Two people charged in connection with the death of 2-year-old Tafari Barris pleaded not guilty today, and a hearing to determine whether they should face trial was scheduled for Aug. 18.

The toddler’s biological father, 27-year-old Dwight Slay, and his girlfriend, 30-year-old Latima Coleman, were escorted into the courtroom by bailiffs and sat two chairs apart for the duration of the very brief hearing.

Both told San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Franklin Stephenson that they were waiving their right to a preliminary hearing within 10 days. The pair face child abuse charges, including torture and child abuse causing death, prosecutors have said. If convicted, each could face the possibility of life in prison.

Dad charged with 1st-degree murder in infant's death (Searcy, Arkansas)

Dad is identified as DUSTIN LEE WATSON.

http://www.arkansasmatters.com/story/d/story/infant-dies-of-head-trauma-father-charged/33798/JbhC7jbTL06PXPTnFkIXfQ

Infant Dies of Head Trauma, Father Charged

   06/30/2014 09:53 PM  06/30/2014 09:56 PM    

SEARCY, AR - A Searcy man has been charged with First Degree Murder for the death of his infant child.

On June 19 officers with the Searcy Police Department were called to the White County Medical Center for a report of child abuse.

When officers arrived they were told by medical staff that an infant who was 4-5 months old had been brought to the emergency room with head trauma.

Through the course of the officer's investigation, they determined that Dustin Lee Watson, 19, of Searcy caused the injury to the child who later died from the trauma.

Watson is being charged with First Degree Murder, a Class Y Felony and will have a bond of $500,000.

Watson was arrested at 5:30 on Monday evening.

Dad strangles 8-year-old son to death in botched murder-suicide attempt; clueless neighbors praise him as "caring father" (Queens, New York)

Why do reporters continuously pull this stale, misleading bull crap? It's called the Clueless Neighbor interview, and it illuminates exactly nothing--except how stupid people are and how easily they are mislead by superficial appearances.

Dads who murder their kids aren't "caring" or "good" or "loving." Almost to a person, they are narcissists who see women and kids as mere extensions of themselves, or as objects to keep or throw away as they see fit. But they often have a glib charm, which fools people who don't know them well.

Notice there is no mention of the mother. Wonder if she had recently separated from the father. That is often the case in these murders. It's very often about punishing/controlling the mother by harming what she loves most--her children.

Dad is identified as BOUJEKE KENMOE.

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140630/flushing/dad-kills-8-year-old-son-tries-commit-suicide-police-say

Dad Kills 8-Year-Old Son and Tries to Commit Suicide, Police Say

By Aidan Gardiner and Trevor Kapp on June 30, 2014 8:48am

A father cut his wrists after killing his 8-year-old son in their Flushing home Sunday, police said.

QUEENS — A Flushing father strangled his 8-year-old son to death and then slit his own wrists in an apparent suicide attempt inside the family's home Sunday night, sources said.

Police responding to a 911 call found Boujeke Kenmoe, 41, laying on the ground and bleeding from both wrists inside his Underhill Avenue home, near Kissena Park, just after 10 p.m. — not far from the bed where his son lay dead, police said.

Kenmoe was taken to Queens General Hospital in stable condition, where he was arrested on murder charges, the NYPD said.

The boy, whose name was not immediately released, displayed no visible signs of trauma but investigators believe Kenmoe strangled him, sources said. The Medical Examiner will determine the boy's cause of death.

Classmates of the boy, a third grader who at one time practiced taekwondo at Eagles gym on 162nd Street, were shocked by his death.

"He used to hang out with me and my other friends. We liked to play tag and cops and robbers," 9-year-old Kyle Bahrey said, standing next to his mother. "He was smart. He was good at reading," Bahrey said.

Police did not immediately have an explanation for the attack. A neighbor said she heard a scream come from the apartment at 7:30 p.m. Sunday night.

"It was just an outburst, a long one. I didn't think anything of it," said Eleanor Blaha, 76.

Neighbors added that they had not seen any signs of trouble and described Kenmoe as a caring father.

"Whenever I saw them, they were holding hands. He seemed loving," said neighbor James Lana, 75. "He looked like a good father."

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Dad beats 5-year-old daughter during out-of-state summer visitation; girl now has severe brain injury (Oakdale, Minnesota)

Yet another father who had to have his "rights."

This one is identified as DE"ANTHONY SIMPSON.

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/25899867/betrayed-girl-5-beaten-by-father-suffers-brain-injury

BETRAYED: Girl, 5, beaten by father suffers brain injury

Posted: Jun 29, 2014 9:32 PM EDT
Updated: Jun 29, 2014 9:40 PM EDT

by Paul Blume

The family of a 5-year-old Minnesota girl who suffered a severe brain injury in an apparent act of domestic violence is speaking out in the hopes that others can avoid another senseless tragedy.

Aniyah Simpson's family took to YouTube with a video about their photogenic girl, and the title -- "Betrayed by her own father" -- pretty much says it all.

"She loved to dance, she loved to eat, she loved to mess with everybody," Azaria Spikes said of her daughter. "My baby was a playful baby, and she loved to take pictures."

Spikes holds onto the precious snapshots of her daughter dearly, but a new set of photos have become the family's new reality. The once energetic 5-year-old is now in a vegetative state after suffering a severe brain injuries, and doctors have said there is little chance she will make a recovery and get back to the camera she loved so much.

"It's my only child. I am in the hospital every day. I see the trach -- the hole in her throat, the feeding tube in her stomach," Spikes said. "It's hard."

What is so troubling for Spikes and her loved ones is that the man allegedly responsible for putting Aniyah in the hospital is someone they trusted -- her father, 24-year-old De'Anthony Simpson. He is now charged with first-degree assault.

"I think he should get charged with murder because my baby, she can't do anything," Spikes admitted.

Family members say Aniyah had come from Wisconsin to spend 6 weeks with her father at his home in Oakdale, Minn. On May 15, she was rushed to the emergency room with life-threatening injuries. Initially, her father told doctors that a large television had fallen on the girl, something her mother and uncle just couldn't believe.

"She got bruises on her arm like he grabbed her, she had a scratch on her forehead," Spikes said of her daughter's injuries, telling Fox 9 News it appeared someone had been punching the child.

Titus Spikes, Aniyah's uncle, added that his niece also had a black eye.

"I've never seen a TV leave a person with one black eye," he said.

Now, they want justice -- and they want other parents to know just how much damage a split-second of violence can cause.

"He took her life," Titus Spikes said. "His freedom should be taken away."

For weeks before his arrest, De'Anthony Simpson wept with the family inside Aniyah's room at Gillette Children's Hospital without ever admitting what truly happened. According to reports, he eventually changed his story and admitted to authorities that he threw his daughter against a bed, and she apparently bounced off hard and hit the floor.

"I thought I could be able to trust my daughter's father, but I can't," Azaria Spikes said.

The Spikes family told Fox 9 News they refuse to give up hope and are praying for a miraculous recovery. The family has also established a benefit fund to raise money for Aniyah's medical care. Donations can be made online here: http://www.gofundme.com/aniyahsimpson

Dad charged with three felonies in abuse of 3-month-old daughter (Bay City, Michigan)

Dad is identified as GARRET D. GWIZDALA.

http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2014/06/bay_city_father_charged_with_l.html

Bay City father charged with life offense in connection with 3-month-old daughter's alleged abuse

By Cole Waterman on June 26, 2014 at 5:23 PM, updated June 27, 2014 at 11:19 AM

BAY CITY, MI — A 24-year-old father has been charged with three felonies in connection with what police say was the abuse of his 3-month-old daughter.

Bay County District Magistrate Janice M. Doner on Thursday, June 26, arraigned Garrett D. Gwizdala on single counts of first-degree child abuse, second-degree child abuse and assault by strangulation. The first charge is punishable by up to life imprisonment, while the latter two are 10-year felonies.

During the arraignment, Gwizdala sat at the courtroom's witness stand, red-eyed and crying.

Gwizdala's charges stem from an incident that occurred at his residence in the 3400 block of North Euclid Avenue the afternoon of Wednesday, June 25. According to police, Gwizdala called 911 at 5:32 p.m., requesting medical attention for his daughter who was not breathing.

A Bay County Sheriff's deputy also responded to the house. Gwizdala initially said he was lying on a couch with the baby on his chest, and that the child fell off and landed face-down on the floor, Undersheriff Troy Cunningham said.

"He later made admissions to what really happened, and we learned his original story was completely false," Cunningham said, adding the child's mother was not home at the time of the alleged incident.

Cunningham said Gwizdala told detectives he knowingly hurt the child. Gwizdala told detectives he obstructed the child's breathing and was upset because she wouldn't stop crying, Cunningham said.

The baby was taken via ambulance to McLaren Bay Region hospital and later transferred to Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw for further treatment.

Cunningham said the girl is in stable condition as of Thursday afternoon. Cunningham also said the baby had injuries that indicated prior abuse.

At the arraignment, Bay County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Nancy E. Borushko asked Doner to set a bond of $300,000 cash-surety. Gwizdala's attorney, Jan A. Miner, opposed this, saying the sum was outrageous and unattainable for his family to post.

Doner granted Borushko's request, with the condition that Gwizdala have no contact with his daughter or anyone younger than 18 if he posts bond.

Gwizdala previously served a three-year probation term after pleading guilty to second-degree home invasion, a crime he committed in October 2008. He was discharged from probation on Feb. 1, 2012.

Gwizdala is to appear for a preliminary examination before Chief District Judge Timothy J. Kelly at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9.

Dad who abducted 2-year-old son admits that he had been "hitting him harder than he should": boy dies after being taken off life support (League City, Texas)

According to later reports, dad DEREK WELLS refused to return this boy to his mother after visitation, and then disappeared. Not surprisingly, the mother reports a history of domestic violence.

http://www.galvestondailynews.com/free/article_28682d76-fe24-11e3-911e-0017a43b2370.html

2-year-old found in League City garage dies

Posted: Friday, June 27, 2014 12:54 pm | Updated: 9:38 pm, Fri Jun 27, 2014.

By T.J. AULDS

LEAGUE CITY — A 2-year-old boy who earlier this week was found unconscious in a garage where he lived with his father died Friday.

Officer Reagan Pena, a League City Police Department spokeswoman, confirmed that Dominic Wells died early Friday morning.

The boy’s father, Derek Wells, 25, is in the Galveston County Jail facing child injury charges.

Pena confirmed that League City detectives are working with the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office to upgrade the charges in light of the child’s death, but that might not happen until the case is presented to a grand jury.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Wells is quoted as telling police that he would get frustrated with the toddler and had been “hitting him harder than he should.”

Wells called 911 shortly after 3:30 p.m. Tuesday to report his son was unresponsive and “not breathing properly,” according to the affidavit.

First responders found Dominic Wells unconscious in a two-car garage attached to a house in the 2100 block of Redwood Drive and rushed the 2-year-old boy to Clear Lake Regional Hospital.

The boy was taken to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, placed on life support and examined by physicians, who on Wednesday told a League City detective it was a “definite case of child abuse,” according to the affidavit.

The child never showed signs of recovery during his stay at the Houston hospital.

Wells and his son lived in that garage as guests of the homeowners, who offered the man a place to stay as he tried to save money to find his own place. The homeowner told The Daily News that despite repeated offers, Wells refused to stay inside the house, saying he didn’t want to be a burden.

Doctors determined that “the child had a brain bleed, a possible skull fracture and bruises all over his body,” according to the affidavit. The boy also appeared to be underweight for his age.

Detectives interviewed Derek Wells at the police station, where the father said the toddler would fall and had hit his head on the living room floor, according to the affidavit. Wells initially denied causing his son’s injuries, according to the affidavit. After he was charged and arrested, Wells then told the officer he was responsible for the injuries to his son, according to the affidavit.

Dad charged with beating 15-year-old son, handcuffing him to table saw in basement for a week; what happened to the mother? (Chicago, Illinois)

Notice that there is mention of a "brother's house" that the tortured boy managed to escape to. Notice that the child welfare people are discussing whether to put him in "another home."

Notice what is totally missing from this account: ANY MENTION OF THIS BOY'S MOTHER.

Had she been living in the house, she certainly would have been aware that something was amiss. Then she would have been arrested for failure to protect. But that didn't happen. I don't think she was there.

Let's look at this picture. Dad JOSE QUILABQUI isn't "just" abusive. This guy is a systematic sadist who tortured this kid for a week. The only reason the abuse stopped is that a workman in the house took pity on the boy and allowed him to escape. . If not, this could have gone on until this boy died.

Think about it. Since abusive fathers are nearly always abusive to the mothers, this should be huge red flag. But it isn't for this reporter. Do we know that Mom is alive? Has she been shut of the picture because of violence or intimidation? Is she "missing"? Is she deceased? If so, do we know if it's from natural causes?

Notice that nobody here is asking any of those questions.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-06-26/news/chi-police-boy-15-handcuffed-for-days-and-beaten-with-belt-20140626_1_15-year-old-boy-bond-court-albany-park

Police: Father, godfather handcuffed son to table saw for week

June 26, 2014|By Rosemary Regina Sobol | Tribune reporter

Jose Quilabaqui, 40, and Carlos Quizhpi, 53, are charged with keeping Quilabaqui's 15-year-old son chained to a table saw for a week.

A 15-year-old boy was handcuffed to a table saw and beaten for a week by his father and godfather in the Albany Park neighborhood, according to police.

Jose Quilabaqui, 40 and Carlos Quizhpi, 53 were both charged with single felony counts of kidnapping.

The boy said he finally escaped the Albany Park business on the Northwest Side on Monday when a worker for one of the men removed screws to the back door of the basement where he was being kept, according to a police report.

The boy was then driven to his brother's home about 2 1/2 miles away, where police were called and the boy taken to a hospital for treatment of bruises to his upper thighs and other injuries, the report said.

The two men, relatives of the boy, were taken into custody Wednesday afternoon. They were charged Thursday. They are scheduled to appear in bond court Friday morning.

The police report does not say what set off the alleged incident, which began on June 16 when the boy was forced into the basement and handcuffed to the table saw and left alone for the night.

The two men came back the next morning, ordered him to take off his clothes and used a garden hose and a bucket of ice water to bathe him, the report said. "The victim was then ordered to put his clothes on and begin construction work in the basement," the report said.

The father fed him only once that day and placed him back into handcuffs and chained to him to a table saw for the night, police said. The boy slept on a piece of drywall, the report said.

The men repeated the abuse every day until this past Monday. On Saturday, the men "took turns hitting victim with a belt on his upper right thigh and buttocks, causing him to have a large bruised area," the report said.

The boy told police a third man, a construction worker, gave him small amounts of food and finally removed the screws to the back door to help him get out after the two other men left, the report said.

Around 7 p.m. Monday, the worker drove the boy to his brother's home in the 2900 block of West School Street, where the brother called 911 and reported the incident.

A Chicago Fire Department ambulance went to the home and took the boy to Our Lady of the Resurrection Hospital, where he was treated and released to the care of the brother while state child welfare officials determine if he should be placed in another home, the report said.

Police took pictures of the boy's injuries and the handcuffs and chain used to hold him, the report said.

Quilabaqui lives in the 3200 block of North Richmond Avenue and Quizhpi lives in the 4900 block of North Whipple Avenue, police said. Both are due in bond court Friday.

Non-custodial dad accused of breaking into house, abducting naked 20-month-old daughter from bathtub (Warren County, Kentucky)

Was this Mom's house? Notice that this is not explained.

Dad is identified as ROBERT POMEROY.

http://m.wave3.com/#!/newsDetail/25684350

Non custodial father accused of taking child from bathtub, girlfriend in custody

By Sarah Eisenmenger
Updated: 06/10/2014 5:20 pm EDT

WARREN COUNTY, KY (WAVE) – The Warren County Sheriff's Office has taken the girlfriend of a non custodial father who allegedly kidnapped his 20-month-old child from a home in Bowling Green into custody.

At 10:47 a.m. Tuesday, deputies arrested Sabrina Vanmeter on a warrant for kidnapping after locating her at a home in the 1000 block of Jack Simmons Road.

Investigators are still searching for Robert Pomeroy, 25, of Bowling Green, and his 20-month-old child, Lillian Pomeroy.

On Monday around 8:27 p.m. deputies said Pomeroy broke into a home in the 6000 block of Scottsville Road and took the 18-month-old girl from a bathtub.

Pomeroy fled from the home in an off white, late 1990s or early 2000 model, 4-door Lexus.

Pomeroy is described as being 5'10'' tall, weighing 180 pounds with a shaved head and thin beard.

He was last seen wearing a black shirt and camouflage pants.

Police said Lillian was not wearing clothes when she was taken.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Pomeroy or the 20-month-old girl is asked to call 911 or the Warren County Sheriff's Office at (270) 842-1633.

Dad who has "a history with police" arrested for abducting 9-month-old son; dad in "custody dispute" with mom (Calgary, Canada)

Rather poorly written article. Not until we get to the very end are we told there is a "custody dispute"--i.e. a raging father declaring war on the mother.

So until you understand that, the rest doesn't make sense. Why would the parents be at McDonalds, only to get into an "altercation" (a vague term is ever there was one) and have Dad take off with the baby?

Only because this was a visitation exchange. That's my best guess. Probably court-ordered, as courts often use fast food places as "neutral" pick-up and drop-off spaces. They figure Daddy won't go psycho at a public space, but here at Dastardly Dads we have reported many cases of violence directed at mothers or children in these kinds of public spaces.

So why the need for the neutral place? Well, here we get all vague again. Daddy has "a history with the police." Which means what? He sold the most tickets for the Police Benevolence Association? Uh, don't think so. Once again, we have a stupid euphemism that disguises any number of violent criminal acts.

So what happened? Apparently this wasn't Daddy just wanting a little extra parenting time. Notice that the charges are not explained. What threats did Daddy issue to whom? And what conditions were breached? An order of protection?

And why was a father with this kind of track record (which is pretty obvious if you read between the lines) allowed access at all? Who gave it to him? Who could possibly be indulging his "custody dispute?"

And why can't the media provide a clear account without all the obfuscations?

Dad is identified as CHRISTIAN  JOVANOVIC.

http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/father-arrested-following-suspected-child-abduction-in-northeast-calgary-1.1890806

Father arrested following suspected child abduction in northeast Calgary

Ryan White, CTV Calgary
Published Saturday, June 28, 2014 11:19AM MDT
Last Updated Saturday, June 28, 2014 6:26PM MDT

A 40-year-old man is in police custody after allegedly abducting his own child from a northeast parking lot on Friday evening.

Police responded to the parking lot of the Chili’s restaurant in the 2400 block of 37 Ave. N.E. at approximately 8:00 p.m. Friday following reports a nine-month-old child had been kidnapped following an altercation between the boy’s parents. The suspect left the scene in a taxi.

The disappearance prompted members of the Calgary Police Service to issue an amber alert. A nine-month-old child was located safe and unharmed near the Riverbend McDonalds Saturday morning after an eight hour disappearance.

“In this instance, based on the threat assessment that we did when the call was initiated, we believed it met the criteria of an amber alert,” said CPS Duty Insp. Mike Tillotson. “It’s the right thing to do when we’re dealing with a nine month old child.”

At approximately 4:30 a.m. Saturday, the child was handed to police in the parking lot of a McDonalds restaurant in the southeast community of Riverbend. The infant was in good health.

“The police were contacted by associates of this male who gave us information about where the child was located and then ultimately turned the child over to us,” said Insp. Tillotson. “The father was arrested nearby.”

Christian Jovanovic, the infant’s father, was arrested Saturday morning. Charges are pending against the 40-year-old man who has a history with police.

Police expect to charge the suspect in connection to the abduction. Jovanovic is expected to face additional charges including:

• Two counts of uttering threats
• Three counts of breaching conditions

Police believe the child's parents are currently involved in a custody dispute. ..

12-year-old boy beaten with pipe and kept in basement by custodial dad, step returned to mom: how did these people get custody to begin with? (Detroit, Michigan)

This article is typical of the way the press tiptoes around when it comes to abusive custodial fathers.

Here are some of the hints you have to look for, and the questions you should be asking.

1) You see a reference to the child "living" with the father. Why not just openly admit that this is a custodial father? Maybe because that would raise the question more openly as to how this custodial decision was made and by whom?

You might think that Dad was a widower, or that Mom was in prison or something. But then you see the following:

2) A buried reference at some point to the child being "returned" to the mother.

Well. The fathers rights people still insist that only "bad" moms lose custody, and that only princely great fathers have a chance.

But if the boy was returned to the mother, than she must be "good enough." So who allowed Daddy to strip her of custody, only to beat the boy and isolate him? (Other accounts have stated that Daddy also "homeschooled" him, which is basically code for keeping the boy away from teachers or other mandated reporters, while also destroying any contact the boy might have had with supportive friends or sympathetic adults.)

So how much do you want to bet that Daddy also beat Mom? How much do you want to bet that as an abuser, he was unrelenting in his "custody battle" in order to maintain his abusive control over the mom and punish her?

Notice that it's mentioned that the step has a criminal record. Wonder if Dad does. Notice that this is not reported. Why?

And how much do you want to bet that the name of the judge who allowed this travesty will never be revealed publicly?

Dad is identified as CHARLIE BOTHUELL IV.

http://www.grandhaventribune.com/article/policefire/1045721

Court document: Boy sent to basement without food

A 12-year-old Detroit boy who was missing for more than a week before he was discovered in his own basement told investigators his stepmother sent him there, according to a court record obtained Friday by a newspaper. Jun 29, 2014

The petition, filed in Wayne County juvenile court by Children's Protective Services as part of a custody hearing, was obtained by the Detroit Free Press. A court employee told The Associated Press a petition was filed Friday, but it was not released to the public or the media.

According to the Free Press, the document says Charlie Bothuell V was placed in the basement behind boxes and totes by his stepmother, Monique Dillard-Bothuell, and told "not to come out, no matter what he hears."

Although Dillard-Bothuell knew her stepson was in the basement, she did not bring him food, according to the petition, which also says: "Charlie reports sneaking upstairs to get food when everyone left the home."

Charlie was found Wednesday by Detroit police in the bowels of the multiple-unit condo building where he lived with Dillard-Bothuell and his father, Charlie Bothuell IV. He was evaluated at a hospital and returned to his mother, police spokeswoman Sgt. Eren Stephens said.

The AP left messages Friday with Dillard-Bothuell, Charlie Bothuell IV and Bothuell's lawyer, Mark Magidson.

Authorities removed the boy's two younger siblings — 4 years old and 10 months old — from the custody of Dillard-Bothuell and Charlie Bothuell IV.

The document obtained by the Free Press also says Bothuell disclosed on Monday that he disciplined his son with a PVC pipe.

The petition says that after Charlie was taken to a hospital for treatment, a doctor observed a half-circular scar on the boy's chest. Charlie says the scar was "a result of his father driving a PVC pipe into his chest," according to the petition, which also says the child had old scars on his buttocks from being hit with the pipe.

Bothuell has denied abusing his son. Magidson also denied that a pipe was used to beat Charlie.

A warrant request in connection with the case has not been turned over to the Wayne County prosecutor's office, spokeswoman Maria Miller said.

According to The Detroit News, Magidson said child abuse charges are likely to be filed against Bothuell. Dillard-Bothuell was arrested Thursday on a probation violation related to a misdemeanor gun charge. In court Friday, Dillard-Bothuell was ordered to wear a tether. She's due back in court July 11. Magidson said her arrest was "highly disingenuous."

The boy's father, who made tearful television pleas for help while his son was missing, has said he had no idea the boy was in the basement. Bothuell reported his son missing June 14. The boy had been working out at home about 9 p.m., went to use the restroom and never returned, Bothuell told police.

Officers searched the home on at least three occasions before they stumbled across the boy apparently hiding behind boxes and a large plastic drum in the basement Wednesday afternoon. Police have said they do not believe the boy had been there the whole time.

Mom with no custody order loses all contact with 2-year-old son after facilitating visitation with dad; doesn't see boy again until he is "allegedly" murdered by dad (League City, Texas)

A lot of ignorant, mother-blaming comments accompany this article. The obviously, the FRs and their minions are out in droves with their usual disinformation campaign.

In reality, this murder is traceable to fathers rights political gains. It used to be that an unmarried mother automatically had custody rights to her own children. No more--thanks to fathers rights. In addition, mothers are under considerable pressure to "involve" the father--no matter what his history of violence or criminality. This pressure is reinforced by both the culture (children need a FATHER!) and by the family courts. If a mother refuses to facilitate visitation, even without a court order, she is a terrible risk of losing custody for being an "alienator." This pressure has only increased due to fathers rights agitation and legislative victories.

Once again, let's go by what we know.

1) Babies and infants do not benefit from extensive visitation with a non-custodial parent. It only confuses them, adds stress, and creates potential bonding problems.

2) Fathers with histories of domestic violence should not have custody or visitation with children, especially vulnerable babies and toddlers. Their tendency towards violence, now amplified by their anger/resentment towards the mother for leaving him, makes these kids into sitting ducks for horrendous abuse or even violent death. Just as this one was. Family courts and child protection agencies desperately need to get this, and mothers should be encouraged/supported NOT to involve daddy if he is unsafe.

3) We need to go back to the old way of doing things--which is that unmarried mothers are AUTOMATICALLY granted custody rights over the babies they give birth to. No automatic rights for some vengeful sperm donor who decides he's going to "punish" mom by taking the baby away--only to leave the mother with no legal recourse.

Dad is identified as DEREK WELLS.

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Mom-of-League-City-boy-speaks-out-about-his-death-5586995.php

Mother of Dominic Wells talks about trying to find her son

Katrina DeBoard says she spent more than a year trying to find her son, only to learn he'd been hospitalized with severe brain injuries.

The two-year-old died earlier this week. Katrina DeBoard contends that because she had no custody orders, officials refused to help her find her son.

The boy's father is being held in the 2-year-old's death

Katrina DeBoard and her husband were in the parking lot of their apartment complex in Oklahoma City Thursday when a police officer approached her and gave her a piece of paper with a detective's phone number and a message that her long-missing 2-year-old son, Dominic, was in a hospital in Houston with serious injuries.

DeBoard, 31, said it had been more than a year since she last saw her son. She'd given the little boy to a woman that his father, Derek Wells, an Marine vet, was living with in North Carolina for a visit in May 2013.

When she saw him again around 4 a.m. Friday, after frantically driving all night, it was too late. After days on life support, after repeated brain scans, her son had gone into cardiac arrest.

"I never would've imagined, in two years, the only way I'd see my son again was him being cold," she said, wiping her eyes Saturday.

League City police said earlier this week that they first discovered Dominic on Tuesday afternoon, after Wells called them and told them the boy was injured.

Authorities took Wells to the Clear Lake Regional Medical Center and then transferred him to Texas Children's Hospital, where he died a few days later.

"There was no question this was more than just a kid in a garage that was a heat casualty," said Sgt. David Hausam.

Police arrested Derek Wells on Wednesday. According to police, he and his son had been living in the unfurnished garage of a home on Redwood Drive. He has been charged with injury of a child, a first-degree felony, and is currently in jail on $100,000 bail.

DeBoard said she first met Wells in the fall of 2010 in California, where she was living at the time. He was a motor transport operator stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

They learned they'd gotten pregnant a month later, the same day Wells was discharged.

They bounced across the country, from home to home, staying with his family in Arkansas, in Pennsylvania and with friends in North Carolina.

Along the way, their relationship soured.

"Our relationship the whole time was up and down," she said Saturday, hours after arranging to have her son's body cremated. "It was really rollercoastery... but for the most part, what I can remember was bad."

At first, she'd liked his sense of humor and his giving nature, but that gave way to a sharp temper, she said.

"He was always been a violent person, always had anger issues," she said.

They split up shortly after moving to North Carolina in the fall of 2012, she said.

Dominic would spend weekends with his father, who was living with a couple nearby. On May 9, 2013, DeBoard took her son to get a haircut. Shortly after he got his hair trimmed, she gave him to the woman with whom Derek Wells had been living.

"I told him I loved him and I'd see him in a week," she said.

That was the last she saw of Dominic, she said. She made entreaties over the past year to see him, and speaking with Wells' family, with military police, with sheriff's deputies in North Carolina, even the FBI, she said. Authorities told her that because she didn't have a court order, they weren't going to do anything, that it sounded like a simple custody battle, she said.

"That was infuriating," she said.

A call to a public affairs officer at Camp Lejeune, where DeBoard said Wells was last stationed, was not returned Saturday. The Onslow County Sheriff's Office had no record of any reports filed regarding Dominic Wells.

Valerie Davenport, Wells' mother, declined to speak to The Chronicle. The couple with whom Wells was living did not respond to emails or other messages seeking comment.

She kept trying to track down Wells and Dominic, even after marrying an Army vet and moving to Oklahoma City, where she got a job at a Dollar General. The couple he had been living with told her they'd moved to Ohio, she said. Later, she would learn Derek had been staying at their home southeast of Houston.

On Facebook, she posted MISSING notices, with pictures of the pair, and even consulted with a private investigator.

On Dec. 17, 2013, DeBoard wrote on her Facebook wall, "I keep seeing all these posts about what people want for Christmas, and what their wishes are.......You know what my Christmas wish is? My Christmas wish is to find my son."

On Thursday, as they were driving to Houston, they got a call.

Dominic was brain dead, they told her.

"They kept him on life support, trying to see if he could hold out 'til I got there," she said.

But when they finally arrived at 4:12 a.m., it was too late. He was gone. The plump-cheeked baby who'd love to play "Come catch me" and steal food off her plate when they were eating, was covered with bruises and scratches.

"What hurts most is whether my eyes are open or closed, all I can see is my son's face with all those tubes and stuff in him," she said, weeping. "That's the worst part."

Friday, June 27, 2014

Dad says abused he abused 2-month-old son because he was "depressed" (Limerick, Pennsylvania)

http://www.timesherald.com/general-news/20140627/police-limerick-dad-violently-shook-2-month-old-baby

Police: Limerick dad violently shook 2-month-old baby

By FRANK OTTO Posted: 06/27/14, 10:16 AM EDT

LIMERICK — The father of a 2-month-old baby has been charged with shaking the child nearly to the point of death, according to court documents filed by the Limerick police.

Steve Edward Thompson, 43, was charged Tuesday with felony aggravated assault and three misdemeanors: simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and endangering the welfare of a child by a parent or guardian.

An affidavit of probable cause related to the case said the Limerick police and Trappe Fire Company Ambulance crews were dispatched to Troon Court in Limerick around 7:25 p.m. May 29 for the report of a baby not breathing.

“On arrival, officers found the baby in the care of his father,” the affidavit said.

Originally taken to Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, the baby was transported to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

The next day, a caseworker and Limerick detective went to the hospital and spoke with those on the Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect team there.

They said the child had suffered “at least one subdural bleed to the brain,” according to the affidavit.

In an interview with the caseworker and police, Thompson reportedly confirmed that he was alone with the child. He said he was “carrying (the victim) in one arm. (The victim) got fidgety and jerked his head (and) fell from his arms onto a very soft, plush couch. (The victim) went limp and stopped breathing,” the affidavit said.

An ophthalmologist reportedly told police that the baby suffered “bilateral intra-retinal hemorrhages that were too numerous to count.”

The ophthalmologist told police that was a new injury and the Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect team “listed the injury as ‘consistent with abusive head trauma (shaken baby syndrome)’ from (the victim) being shaken violently to the point of near death,” according to the affidavit.

Thompson also allegedly told a nurse during the baby’s care that he “shook the baby a bit.”

After interviewing Thompson again, police said he told them he shook the baby but “I don’t remember how many times or how hard,” claiming he did it to “get a response to wake him up” after the baby went limp after the initial drop he told police about.

Medical personnel told police that going limp was not consistent with an injury sustained from the fall Thompson described.

A doctor reportedly found ligament injuries in the baby’s neck as well as “an old brain bleed injury,” which he indicated were “highly concerning for repeated abuse.” That doctor classified the injuries as being “consistent” with the victim being “violently shaken,” according to police.

In a new interview June 3 with a Limerick detective and a caseworker, Thompson allegedly admitted, “I think I shook (the victim) harder than I should have,” then eventually told his mother, who was apparently present and said, “It is all my fault, Mom. I did this. I shook the baby vigorously.”

Interviewed once more, now just with police, Thompson allegedly described “vigorously shaking” the baby because “he was upset with himself for dropping” him.

He admitted to ‘taking out his frustrations’ on (the victim) because he was mad at himself,” the affidavit said, and that the baby went limp after being shaken.

Thompson also allegedly told police that he had been depressed since the birth of the child and that “he and his wife did everything together prior to (the victim) being born.”

Two doctors told police that the injuries sustained by the baby were from “abuse only,” according to police.

Thompson was arraigned Thursday morning and his bail was set at $100,000, unsecured. It’s unclear if he was remanded to prison.

Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Sophia Polites is assigned to the case, police said.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 16.

Dad arrested for abusing 3-month-old daughter (Bay County, Michigan)

UNNAMED DAD

http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2014/06/police_bay_county_father_arres.html

Police: Bay County father arrested on charge abusing 3-month-old daughter

By Cole Waterman | cwaterma@mlive.com on June 26, 2014 at 12:05 PM, updated June 27, 2014 at 10:37 AM

UPDATE: Father charged with life offense in 3-month-old daughter's alleged abuse

BANGOR TOWNSHIP, MI — A local man is in the Bay County Jail on a charge that he abused his 3-month-old daughter.

About 5:32 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, a Bay County Sheriff's deputy responded to a report of an infant not breathing at a home in the 3400 block of North Euclid Avenue. Upon arrival, the deputy and medical personnel found the girl on the floor with difficulty breathing.

The child's father said he was lying on a couch with the baby on his chest when she rolled off and fell to the floor, deputies report.

As medical personnel were treating the baby, they discovered several bruises inconsistent with a simple fall, deputies report. Investigators determined the father was responsible for the baby's injuries, they report.

Deputies arrested the father on a child abuse charge. He could be arraigned in Bay County District Court as early as Thursday afternoon.

The infant is in stable condition.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Father accused of abusing 11-week-old daughter heads to trial; had only been "in charge" of baby for 50 minutes (Brighton, Michigan)

Notice that Mom is being accused of neglect because she left the baby with Dad while she got a haircut.

On one hand, mothers are told not to be suspicious of men, and to involve fathers in every way.

And then they are blamed when Daddy f**** up and they bought into his cover story. Notice that Mom has lost custody because she believed the father's explanation (BS) for the baby's injury, and nothing else.

Dad is identified as JOSHUA QUINCY BURNS.

http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20140626/NEWS01/306260014/Father-accused-child-abuse-heads-trial

Father accused of child abuse heads to trial

Jun. 26, 2014

Written by Lisa Roose-Church

Daily Press & Argus

A Brighton father will head to Livingston County Circuit Court for trial on a child abuse charge alleging he harmed his then-11-week-old daughter, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Assistant Prosecutor Betsy Geyer Sedore said the testimony from a two-day preliminary hearing that concluded Tuesday showed Joshua Quincy Burns was responsible for “serious physical harm” to his daughter in March while her mother was getting a haircut.

Sedore said there were no problems when the child’s mother was caring for her, but during an estimated 90-minute time frame when the father was in charge, “an incident” occurred that resulted in multiple doctor visits for the infant, who suffered retinal hemorrhaging, among other injuries.

Defense attorney Michael Cronkright opposed the bind-over, saying the prosecution has to show “more than a child was injured,” but that his client’s “reckless act caused the injury.”

Cronkright said the state’s expert witness, a pediatric child abuse physician, “dismissed out of hand” that anything else could have caused the infant’s injuries.

“The only explanation before the court is some incidental response to a fall kind of activity,” he said. “There has to be some evidence my client did something to cause the injuries, and there’s no evidence.”

Sedore disagreed with Cronkright’s characterization that it was a “minor offense,” countering that exact details of what happened to the infant March 15 are unknown because the prosecution can’t force the defendant to say what happened.

“He was left alone with the child. The child exhibits injuries; the child ends up vomiting and having problems,” Sedore told the court. “They have to take the child to the (emergency room on) numerous different occasions, and when they finally look into her eyes, they see retinal hemorrhaging that goes multilayers and all the way around, basically, on both eyes. ... The child was with no one else.”

Sedore’s statement summarized testimony provided by Dr. Bethany Mohr, a pediatric child abuse physician with C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital who specializes in brain trauma in infants.

Mohr testified that Burns’ infant daughter had retinal hemorrhaging in both eyes, which is an indicator of child abuse, as well as bruising.

She said Burns told her that he “grabbed” the infant’s face when she fell while sitting on his lap and she had him demonstrate how it occurred by using a doll. She said she was “taken aback with his aggression” when he grabbed the doll’s face.

However, she said Burns’ story did not explain the infant’s intracranial and ophthalmological injuries.

Burns’ wife, Brenda Burns, testified that her husband told her their daughter “lurched forward” and he caught her on her face. She said when she arrived home that she saw a fingerprint on her daughter’s face and redness around the infant’s eye.

On cross-examination, Brenda Burns was asked if she had any reason to doubt her husband’s story.

“Not at all,” she replied. The infant has been placed in the custody of the Department of Human Services pending the outcome of an abuse/neglect case filed against both Burns and his wife.

The neglect/abuse case is set for trial in July.

Custodial dad of 12-year-old son who went "missing" may be charged with abuse (Detroit, Michigan)

Fascinating the watch the comments on this case. They all revolve around whether Dad was treated differently for being black or for homeschooling. Not one person has asked WHY this abusive, controlling father had custody to begin with and who gave it him. Not one person has asked what happened to this boy's mother. Telling. This is how invisible the issue of abusive fathers having custody has become.

Dad is identified as CHARLIE BOTHUELL IV.

http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/9695/father_and_stepmother_persons_of_interest_in_son_s_disappearance_homicide

Update: Father of 12-Year-Old Detroiter May Be Charged With Abuse
June 25th, 2014, 10:46 PM
Updated: 10:35 p.m. Wednesday: Fox 2's Taryn Asher reports that police may charge the father, Charlie Bothuell IV, with child abuse. The stepmother could also face some charges.

Fox 2 reports that the son, Charlie Bothuell, who went missing, claims his stepmother helped him hide and was giving him food. The father says that's absurd.

Investigators say the boy may have had a reason to hide. Fox 2 reports that the boy was homeschooled, was on a strict exercise regiment and allegedly was often beaten with a PVC pipe that has been taken into custody.

The father tells Fox 2 that he disciplines the boy but does not abuse him.

At one point, authorities thought they might be looking at a homicide after they found blood in the boy's bedroom.

Updated: 5:02 p.m. Wednesday: Well, so much for the disappearance of Charlie Bothuell, 12, being investigated as a homicide and the parents being persons of interest.

WXYZ reports that the boy was found in his father's basement.

*****************

The disappearance of 12-year-old Charlie Bothuell nine days ago has become a national story. The father appeared Tuesday on HLN’s “Nancy Grace” to talk about the case.

Meanwhile, George Hunter of the Detroit News reports that police are looking at the father and stepmom as persons of interest, a loosely used term that can also mean "suspect" in some instances. The father took a polygraph test that proved inconclusive, the News reported. The stepmother refused to take the test.

The News, citing a "source,' said detectives have uncovered information that indicates Charlie Bothuell was killed, and that his father, Charlie Bothuell IV, and stepmother, Monique Dillard-Bothuell, were persons of interest in the case.

Before the disappearance, the father said the boy got into an argument with his stepmother, the News reported. Bothuell IV said that was the last time he saw him.

Dad found guilty in death of 9-month-old son (Rochester, New York)

This story occurs with nauseating regularity. Mom is working and supporting the family. Dad is apparently nothing more than an abusive deadbeat playing at "caretaker." Too often the results are fatal.

Notice that Daddy couldn't even be bothered to call 911.

Dad is identified as MAURICE FAISON.

http://online.wsj.com/article/AP2be58197bdb8437385564f9c2e7cf823.html

June 26, 2014, 7:51 a.m. ET.

Father found guilty in death of 9-month-old son
Associated Press

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A 23-year-old Rochester man has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of his 9-month-old son.

Local media report that Maurice Faison also was found guilty by a jury Wednesday of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, first-degree criminal contempt and other charges related to death in September of his son Tristan.

The child's mother told authorities Faison was taking care of their son at their Rochester apartment while she was at work. When she got home and checked on the baby, she realized he wasn't breathing.

The medical examiner's office ruled the cause of death blunt force trauma. Faison's sentencing is scheduled for July 24.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Dad charged with abusing 4-month-old son, apparently during weekend visitation (Huntington, West Virginia)

It isn't spelled out clearly, but this sure sounds like weekend visitation involving a never married father.

Visitation with infants is a BAD idea. Babies need a consistent caregiver. They don't need bouncing around from house to house, which leads to emotional problems (at "best") or abuse like in this case.

Given that these guys are really little more than sperm donors, it is asinine to presume that they have the same love and commitment to the child as a father who is married to the mother, loves the mother, and lives in the home.

http://www.wsaz.com/home/headlines/Father-Charged-with-Child-Abuse-Invovling-Infant-Son-264447181.html

Father Charged with Child Abuse Involving Infant Son

Updated: Wed 9:15 AM, Jun 25, 2014

By: WSAZ News Staff

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A Huntington man been charged with child abuse causing serious injury in an incident involving his 4 ½ month old son, according to Huntington Police.

Shawn Graves, 20, was arrested Tuesday afternoon.

According to the criminal complaint the infant was in Graves’ care when he was transported by EMS to a Huntington hospital where the medical staff determined the baby sustained a “non accidental trauma.” A CT scan then revealed a brain bleed.

Graves told police the infant was normal when his mother dropped him off on Saturday.

According to the criminal complaint, Graves admitted to shaking the baby “back and forth causing the child’s unsupported head to jerk back and forward.”

Graves is being held in the Western Regional Jail.

Police: Dad let baby drown while he was arranging drug deal (San Antonio, Texas)

I wonder if this was a custody/visitation situation. Notice the reference to the father's apartment, not the family's apartment. At any rate, it seems Mom was working while dad was drowning kids and dealing drugs. In other words, another useless deadbeat dad who was "involved" when he shouldn't have been.

Dad is identified as ROMEO ALEXANDER DUNCAN.

http://www.foxsanantonio.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/sapd-baby-drowned-while-dad-arranged-drug-deal-4725.shtml#.U6rqiNfD9Yc

SAPD: Baby drowned while dad arranged drug deal

Updated: Tuesday, June 24 2014, 08:49 PM CDT

  By JENNIFER SAUCEDO

A San Antonio father is behind bars, charged in connection to his infant daughter's death.

On June 2, police responded to Romeo Alexander Duncan's apartment on Bentley, in north east San Antonio.

When officers arrived Rubi Lynn Duncan not breathing. Rubi Lynn later died at a hospital, just ten days shy of her first birthday.

According to an arrest affidavit, Duncan said he had been giving his daughter a bath and left the room for a few seconds to get her clothes. When he returned, she was under water.

Investigators said Duncan kept changing his story and later admitted he had never called 911.

Duncan was arrested when officers say they found a bag in the restroom with cocaine, crystal meth and heroin.

"It appears that the suspect was actually engaged in drug dealing at the time of the baby's death," said Sgt. Javier Salazar, S.A.P.D.

Police said 39 minutes passed from the time Duncan had text his daughter's mother that something was wrong with the baby.

Investigators say during that time, Duncan had sent 14 text messages, including one message asking someone to come to the apartment to get and hold the drugs for him, before police arrived.

Duncan, 21, is facing charges of injury to a child by omission. He's in the Bexar County Jail on a $150,000.00 bond.

Dad tortures Mom to death in front of two kids; mom had filled for divorce, order of protection (Ozark, Missouri)

Horrendous...yet was absolutely preventable. Fathers with past histories of violence are ESPECIALLY dangerous after the mother has left. That is why the authorities need to keep these guys locked up and away from the mother and children.

Dad is identified as AARON WAYNE CLEMONS.

http://www.hngn.com/articles/34544/20140625/missouri-man-charged-gagging-beating-wife-before-killing.htm

Missouri Man Charged for Torturing and Beating his Wife to Death

By Vishakha Sonawane | Jun 25, 2014 07:09 AM EDT

A Missouri man beat his wife to death and set his Ozark, Missouri, home on fire to cover up. He was arrested and charged with murder, Monday.

Aaron Wayne Clemons, 31, gagged and beat his wife Bailey Clemons Saturday, June 14. Their two children, a 6-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy, were at home and witnessed their father hitting their mother.

Clemons' house at 205 E. McCracken Road in Ozark was burned June 16, Monday. Stone County police said they initially believed the house was empty when the fire broke out. However, upon investigation the authorities recovered the body of Bailey. They found she was gagged with a sock, tied behind her head and the authorities also found a belt around her neck. Christian County coroner Brad Cole said that DNA results confirmed the dead body was that of Bailey Clemons, reports OzarksFIRST.com.

According to the police statement, Clemons called 911 Monday and said he was injured in a fire. Following this, he was taken to Springfield Hospital. Authorities said Clemons apparently told the hospital officials that he set the house on fire to cover up Bailey's death. He was arrested at the hospital.

Upon interrogation, Clemons told police that his children were at the camp ground in Stone County. During that time, he said, he tied his wife to the pole in the basement and set the house on fire after she died. He also told the officials that he did not know the cause of her death.

KSDK.com reports, the probable cause statement shows that Clemons said he "taped his wife's whole body to a pole by wrapping her around her feet, knees, butt, jaw and head with boxing tape in the basement." He talked to her for a while and went upstairs to get some ice. He saw Bailey dead after he returned.

The statement further read that the state Fire Marshal investigator found two melted gasoline containers near the body in the basement of the house.

Clemons is charged with first degree murder, kidnapping, armed criminal action, arson and several counts of child endangerment.

The children told the investigators that their father tortured their mother. They said their mother came home Saturday morning and their father talked to her. Shortly after, they began fighting. The children said their dad was "sitting on her (mother) and beating her."

The daughter said she heard "her mom crying and her dad hitting her mom and her mom saying 'I'm bleeding,' 'I'm bleeding' and her 'daddy said it's going to get worser.'" The little girl then said she saw her father forcing her mother to the basement. She said her mom told her to inform the neighbors and get the police; but her father told the two children to go to their rooms, reports KY3.

The daughter then "described the defendant yanking her mom down to the basement and that she could hear him putting the duct tape on her mom and her mom screaming."

According to the court records, Bailey filed for divorce from Clemons in April, 2013. The case had been on hold since June, 2013. In 2010, she sought a protection order against Clemons in Green County. She had told the authorities that he assaulted her in March at their Ozark home.

"Sadistic" dad who beat 10-year-old daughter spared jail (United Kingdom)

The UK is particularly indulgent of abusive fathers, and they really seem to back off if the father is a Muslim fanatic.

UNNAMED DAD

http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/news/11299533.___Sadistic____Burnley_dad_who_beat_terrified_daughter_with_a_ladle_spared_jail/?ref=rss

‘Sadistic’ Burnley dad who beat terrified daughter with a ladle spared jail .

3:00pm Wednesday 25th June 2014 in News
By Wendy Barlow, Court reporter .

Lancashire Telegraph: ‘Sadistic’ Burnley dad who beat terrified daughter with a ladle spared jail

A ‘SADISTIC’ Burnley dad who beat his terrified daughter ‘up to 40 times’ with a ladle for not reading the holy book, has been spared jail.

The 46-year-old man had told the girl to bend over before ordering her brother to hit her 120 times with the weapon.

He had then taken the spoon off the boy and repeatedly struck the 10-year-old victim as she sobbed and gasped for breath.

The defendant, said to have also kicked the child in the hip, back and stomach, threatened the girl’s mother with violence after she tried to intervene.

He then said he was going to Pakistan and left the house, the town’s magistrates had earlier heard.

The hearing was told how the father, who left the victim injured and in pain, was later arrested after a visit from the NSPCC.

The charity had been alerted by another child of the family.

The defendant told police the victim said every day she was going to recite and pray, but she didn’t.

He claimed he had made a mistake when he hit her.

The prosecutor had said officers asked him if he knew it was against the law to hit children and he replied he didn’t realise it was ‘such a big thing’. She continued: “He said he would never do it again and has repented.”

The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had admitted child cruelty on March 23 and was committed to the crown court for sentence. The bench had told the father, who had no previous convictions, they felt his behaviour was sadistic.

He was spared jail by Judge Jonathan Gibson, who said the offence was ‘serious over-chastisement.’ The judge said the defendant was assessed as being a person who the probation service could work with, together with social and children’s services, in order, hopefully, that he could be rehabilitated.

Judge Gibson told the father: “I have in mind when sentencing you the very obvious abhorrence that society has in relation to assaults upon children, but also the effects upon your family a custodial sentence might have.

“It seems to me that I would be punishing your family if I were to send you immediately to prison, which would be for a relatively short period, when in fact intensive work can be done, and needs to be done, in the community with you.”

The father was given a two-year community order with two years’ supervision and must pay £150 costs.

The lower court had heard the girl had lived in Burnley with her parents and several siblings.

There was a dispute over who was going to do the ironing.

Dad accused of letting 2-year-old son drown while dad played video games (Anson, Texas)

Dad is identified as AUSTIN GARRETT.

http://www.ktxs.com/news/updated-father-of-2yearold-arrested-for-anson-drowning/26643828

Father of 2-year-old arrested for Anson drowning

By Elizabeth Weiss, Crime/Courts Reporter
POSTED: 5:39 PM Jun 24 2014 UPDATED 12 mins

Anson father facing charges in his son's drowning

ANSON, Texas - Austin Garrett, the father of the 2-year-old who drowned earlier this month, has been charged with abandoning/endangering a child.

According to the Anson Police Department, the investigation revealed that Garrett, 20, purposely left his son Brendyn outside while playing PlayStation video games with his younger brother.

Once the child arrived at Anson General Hospital, the child failed to respond to CPR and was pronounced dead at 1:55 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4.

Garrett's bond has been set at $75,000. He will be prosecuted by the Jones County District Attorney’s Office after the investigation is complete.

Below is the news release, in its entirety, from the Anson Police Department:

Anson Police DepartmentPress Release

On June 4, 2014 at approximately 1:22 PM the Anson Police Department was dispatched to 2031 CR 380 in Anson. Dispatch advised a two year old child was drowning. Upon arrival EMS transported the child to the Anson General Hospital. Upon arrival the child did not respond to CPR. Brendyn Garrett was pronounced deceased at 1:55 PM.

The Anson Police Department initatied an investigation into the drowning. Our investigation revealed the father of Brendyn purposely left the child outside while playing a video game on PlayStation with his little brother. Austin Garrett has been charged and arrested for the criminal offense of Abandoning/Endangering a Child, a 2nd Degree Felony. Bond has been set at $75,000.00. Our investigation has been completed, and turned over to the Jones County District Attorney's Office for prosecution.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Neighbors complained to police at least five months before custodial dad, girlfriend charged with torture killing of 2-year-old daughter (Stockton, California)

The typical bungling by the authorities. Notice that the article is extremely vague as to why the mother lost custody of this baby, though there is evidence that she acted in a protective way and tried to contact the authorities about her concerns. I'm thinking this was an unmarried couple where the control freak father and his family took possession, and there was nothing she could do since mothers no longer have automatic custody rights to their own children anymore. I have known many cases like this, where the authorities refuse to retrieve the kids if they are in the father's possession.

Dad is identified as DWIGHT SLAY.

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140624/A_NEWS/140629952

Multiple abuse reports before tot's death

By Zachary K. Johnson
Record Staff Writer

June 24, 2014 12:00 AM

The first recorded instance that something was amiss with Tafari Sarai Barris came in October, about 5 months before the 2-year-old was found dead and her father, Dwight Slay, and his girlfriend, Latima Coleman, were accused of child abuse and torture.

Case documents and court records show when concerns about the child’s safety began, and when they increased and prompted increased attempts from investigators to find the child that, ultimately, came up short.

On Oct. 24, Stockton police got a call from a cellphone during an argument between Slay and his family over who should have custody of Tafari.

His family thought Tafari looked too small for her age, and Slay wasn’t taking her to a doctor for medical care, according to a police call log. But Slay had legal custody, and he told police a doctor’s appointment had been scheduled.

Police told the family they couldn’t take the child away from her father, but if they wanted custody, they should call CPS. The information from the police call log was not shared with CPS at the time.

But somebody did call CPS, at 11:40 that night, county records show.

The caller said Tafari looked small and unhappy and mentioned the conversation with police. She wanted to make a report, so somebody could check on Tafari, but she didn’t have the address or names of those involved.

The social worker who took the call reported asking the woman to get the information and call back.

She didn’t.

On Dec. 18, somebody called 911 to report hearing a neighbor striking Tafari, according to a call history included in a search warrant filed by law enforcement after the child’s death.

A police officer went to the 11th Street address and talked to a “Latima Corona,” who said her children were running around and yelling. Officers checked the home and said “everyone in the house appeared to be OK,” according to the warrant.

These kinds of “welfare check” calls happen frequently, according to police.

Prosecutors had said Tafari had suffered abuse since at least January, but records do not show another call until March.

On March 9, a neighbor called CPS to say it sounded like a child had been locked in a closet as punishment and that the child had cigarette burns on her face. The caller provided the 11th Street address and the nickname of her neighbor, but not the name of the father or the child, according to the county.

The social worker taking the call determined there was not a danger that required immediate intervention, but that there should be a response within 10 days.

The social worker found information about Coleman’s family by using the address to search county records, but it led to the conclusion that a different child, not Tafari, was the victim. It becomes clearer in later documents that Slay and Coleman have more than one child together, and there is another 2-year-old girl related to the case.

On March 17, a social worker made an unannounced visit to the 11th Street home, finding a 6- or 7-year-old girl and a woman who said she was a relative of Coleman’s. The social worker reported that the home seemed to be clean and free of safety hazards.

The woman said she didn’t know the child the worker was looking for, but she said that Coleman’s significant other “Dwight” had a 2-year-old named Tafari. The woman called an unknown person in an attempt to reach Coleman, then provided the social worker with numbers for Slay and Coleman, though Coleman’s phone was turned off.

Later that day, the social worker visited a different home. It is unclear how it was related to the case, but the woman who answered the door did not allow the investigator inside, which looked dirty and smelled bad. There were two children inside.

Coleman left a voicemail at CPS on March 19 but left no return number.

On March 23, police got another call requesting an officer to find and check Tafari for malnutrition and a possible broken arm. The call listed in the warrant doesn’t identify the caller, who told police to check a home on the 8700 block of Kelley Drive. Police contacted the residents of the home, who said nobody with the name Tafari lived there.

On March 26, one of Slay’s relatives called 911 to say Tafari suffered from malnutrition and that she was in the custody of Slay and his girlfriend at the 11th Street address, according to the search warrant.

Officers came to the house, reporting there was no sign of abuse or neglect inside. They noted there was food, electricity, running water and that the children “were in good spirits and were very well fed,” according to the search warrant. But Tafari wasn’t there, police said.

A caller told police on March 29 said Tafari was either at a home on Plantation Place or at an address on 11th Street. However, the caller gave a different 11th Street address. That call went to the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, which talked to CPS and sent the call back to Police Department with the correct address.

The police again visited Colemen, who said she hadn’t seen Slay “in a while.” Tafari wasn’t there, either, but the children who were appeared to be uninjured and in good health, police reported, according to the warrant.

Coleman also told officers that somebody kept making false reports and sending police to her house, according to the report.

On March 31, a social worker requested police look for Tafari at a different address on Plantation. Police found Slay’s relatives but reported they were uncooperative and argumentative. A man demanded to know who made the allegation, and told police get off his property, the report said.

“Why would I tell you where (Slay) is at? So you could take him to jail?”

Police visited another home that day. It was an address connected to Coleman. The home was vacant.

On April 2, a new caller reported to police that she hadn’t seen Tafari for 10 months but that Slay’s family members had told her that the child had a broken arm and burns and was malnourished.

This caller provided some insight into how Tafari was passed from one person to another during her short life.

The child was in the care of her mother, then one person, then another before ending up in the care of Slay. One of these interim custodians was uncooperative when police visited the person’s home two days earlier, according to the documents.

The search went to another address provided by this caller, too. It was supposed to be home for a relative of Coleman’s, but responding police found the relative had moved.

From March 23 through March 31, police patrol officers handled a total of seven calls related to Tafari from both the public and from CPS, said Officer Joe Silva, a Stockton police spokesman. It was enough of a red flag to prompt detectives to investigate, he said. About the same time, Tafari’s biological mother called the county’s child-abduction team.

Police investigators decided sometime after March 31 that it was time to upgrade the case to an “at-risk” missing person case, and the missing persons unit took over.

By April 2, photos of Slay and Tafari had been sent to other agencies in San Joaquin County and to the state Attorney General’s Office.

On April 6, Tafari was dead.

Mother blamed for "failing" to stop violent father from murdering 12-week-old daughter (United Kingdom)

Most of the time these pious, moralistic sermons thundered at mothers who "failed to protect" their babies from violent, murderous, fathers are nothing but 100% bullsh**.

The authorities admit that the self-confessed killer was "violent, volatile, and short-tempered" and yet somehow, a 19-year-old young woman was supposed to be strong enough to stop him in his tracks? And what if she had called the cops on him for abusing her or the baby? Chances are he would have either not been arrested or set loose on bail in no time--and angrier or more vengeful than ever. Maybe a useless social worker would have got involved.  If she had left him, chances are he would get unsupervised visitation (if not custody) of the baby.

And notice that in all this finger pointing, there is NOT EVEN ONE suggestion of what she "could have done." Very telling....Just an old-fashioned plea that a "real" mother does whatever it takes, "no matter what the consequences to herself." Very pretty sentiment indeed. But if you're dead or knocked unconscious by the killer, it's not of much help, is it?

Dad is identified as TYLER VALLANCE.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/isabella-vallance-died-after-mum-7318874

Baby Isabella Vallance died after mother failed to protect her from violent father, court told

Jun 24, 2014 15:47

By Birmingham Mail

Prosecutors allege 12-week-old suffered nine broken ribs and a brain injury in two separate attacks by Tyler Vallance A baby died after suffering multiple fractures and a brain injury at the hands of her violent father after her mother failed to protect her, a court has heard.

Jessica Wiggins, 19, is alleged to have allowed her partner, Tyler Vallance, to carry out two separate assaults which left 12-week-old Isabella Vallance with nine broken ribs.

A jury at Worcester Crown Court was told that Isabella died in hospital five days after being found apparently lifeless at her parents' flat in Redditch, Worcestershire.

Tyler Vallance, 21, is not facing trial after admitting the unlawful killing of Isabella, who died on December 12, 2012.

Opening the Crown's case against Wiggins, prosecutor Christopher Hotten QC alleged that Isabella was first attacked around a month before her death.

Mr Hotten told jurors Isabella was taken to hospital from her parents' home in Stanley Close, Redditch, on December 7 after a 999 call made by Wiggins at 12.40pm.

During the call, which was played to the jury, a distraught Wiggins was given instructions on how to attempt to revive her daughter, who appeared to have stopped breathing.

The court heard Isabella died of a head injury after being transferred from Redditch's Alexandra Hospital to the paediatric intensive care unit at Birmingham Children's Hospital.

A post-mortem examination showed the infant had multiple retinal haemorrhages likely to be the result of an inflicted brain injury. Explaining medical professionals' findings, Mr Hotten told the jury: "It was the view of these experts that Isabella had sustained injury on at least two separate occasions - distinct but similar incidents."

The first incident, occurring approximately three to four weeks prior to death, had caused sub-dural bleeding and eight rib fractures, the court heard.

Meanwhile, the medical experts took the view that the second set of injuries, including a ninth broken rib, and fractures to the left thigh and right leg, happened between four and six days before death.

"The presence of those injuries suggests or implies the use of significant force," said Mr Hotten, who claimed the mechanism of injury was likely to have been shaking or impact, or a combination of both.

Alleging that Tyler Vallance was responsible for causing Isabella's apparent collapse on December 7, Mr Hotten told jurors Wiggins was facing trial because she knew her partner posed a danger to her child.

The lawyer told the court: "She knew her partner, with whom she lived, was a violent, volatile and short-tempered man who posed a serious risk of significant harm to Isabella but she did nothing to protect her daughter with fatal consequences."

Mr Hotten, who said it was the first duty of a mother to protect her child whatever the consequences for herself, added: "The essence of what the prosecution allege is that Jessica was aware of the significant risk ... that Tyler presented to Isabella.

"She failed to protect Isabella in relation to the earlier separate injuries. We say that she must have known something was wrong with Isabella as a result of the earlier assault."

Wiggins denies causing or allowing the death of a child and child cruelty alleged to have taken place between October 5 and December 8, 2012.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Charges dropped against dad accused of point an AK-47 at teen daughter; daughter refused to testify (St. Paul, Minnesota)

Once again, Daddy gets away with terrorizing his family...because, frankly, the victims are afraid of testifying. And why wouldn't they be? This guy is excused because he is a priest, blah blah. An outrage.

Dad is identified as KIRIL BARTASHEVITCH.

http://www.twincities.com/crime/ci_26017046/charges-dropped-against-st-paul-dad-who-aimed?source=rss

Charges dropped against St. Paul dad who allegedly aimed gun at daughter

By Richard Chin

Posted: 06/23/2014 12:01:00 AM CDT
Updated: 06/23/2014 08:50:15 PM CDT

Charges were dismissed Monday against a St. Paul man who had been accused of pointing an AK-47 rifle at his teenage daughter in a dispute over her grades. The victims refused to cooperate with prosecutors, according to the Ramsey County attorney's office.

Kirill Bartashevitch, 53, had been charged in January 2013 with two counts of terroristic threats after he allegedly threatened his daughter, who was 15 at the time, and the girl's mother.

According to a criminal complaint, the girl told a social worker that she and her father were arguing Jan. 13, 2013, at the family's home on the 1700 block of Englewood Avenue because she had gotten two B's instead of straight A's in school.

After the girl swore at her father and said she "hated" him, Bartashevitch grabbed his new AK-47 and pointed it at the girl, the complaint said. The girl said her mother jumped between them while Bartashevitch was pointing the gun, the complaint said. A Ramsey County child protection worker interviewed the teen's mother, who verified the girl's account, and the mother, now 54, added that Bartashevitch had also pushed her to the floor, the complaint said.

The child protection worker also interviewed Bartashevitch, who said that he was involved in a physical confrontation with his wife and daughter and that he pointed the rifle at his wife and daughter, but that the gun was not loaded and he had checked the chamber before he pointed it at them, the complaint said.

Dennis Gerhardstein, spokesman for the Ramsey County attorney's office, said the mother and daughter are now unwilling to testify against Bartashevitch. According to a statement from Gerhardstein, "There was insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. In this particular instance, the victims refused to cooperate, thus making it virtually impossible to prove a terroristic threats case."

After Bartashevitch's arrest, supporters wrote to Ramsey County District Judge Lezlie Ott Marek, saying that Bartashevitch is a highly respected Russian Orthodox priest and that the charges were exaggerated or without merit.

"It's a situation, in my opinion, that got blown out of proportion," said Earl Gray, Bartashevitch's lawyer.

In addition to being a priest, Bartashevitch worked for Minneapolis Public Schools beginning in 2000. He was an IT support assistant at Sheridan Elementary School and Emerson Spanish Immersion Learning Center, but he was placed on an unpaid leave of absence on the day he was charged.

Bartashevitch was convicted of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, in 2000 and put on probation for one year, court records show. His wife was listed at the victim.

Bartashevitch could not be reached for comment Monday.

The Quicy Solution Provides Enormous Benefits to Business (USA)

Important new article by Barry Goldstein.

http://stopabusecampaign.com/feature/business-bonanza?fb_action_ids=10203602163562355&fb_action_types=og.comments&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B735313859864736%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.comments%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

The Quincy Solution Provides Enormous Benefits to Businesses

By Barry Goldstein

The business community took an active role in the discussion and politics of the Affordable Care Act. They did so because of the potential for the law to have huge financial implications for their businesses. The same business leaders essentially sat out the debate over renewal of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in large part because they were unaware of the financial benefits it would provide them. The Quincy Solution will have a far greater and positive impact on the financial condition of businesses in the United States. Accordingly it is important to understand the enormous benefits the Quincy Solution provides to the business community.

News coverage of the domestic violence issue has tended to focus on the direct physical harm to women partnered with batterers. Some stories have mentioned the damage to children from being exposed to their father’s abuse of their mother. Some of the opponents to reauthorization of VAWA actually complained about the cost of implementing the law. It is only recently that the enormous financial costs of tolerating domestic violence became apparent so many people, including policy makers are unaware of the money that can be saved by ending our tolerance for men’s abuse of women.

Substantial Savings for Businesses

The largest source of savings is in health care costs. These costs involve not just treating the immediate injuries, but the lifelong affects from the stress of living with an abuser. The ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) research, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention similarly demonstrates the long-term health risks to children who witness domestic violence. The United States spends $750 billion annually for health care expenses caused by domestic violence. We also spend over one trillion dollars on crime costs. Most crime is not related to domestic violence, but 25% of police calls are connected to domestic violence and a single murder costs the criminal justice system $2.5 million. Children who witness this abuse are more likely to commit a variety of other crimes. Accordingly, I conservatively estimate the annual criminal cost of domestic violence is $200 billion. The other major expense is that women, children and abusers fail to reach their economic potential because of our tolerance of men’s abuse against women. This means the United States is spending over one trillion a year to tolerate domestic violence.

The Quincy Solution is a group of best practices originally used in Quincy, Massachusetts that have been shown to dramatically reduce domestic violence crime. Norfolk County had averaged 5 to 6 domestic violence homicides each year but implementation of the original Quincy Model helped the community enjoy several years with no murders, and substantial reductions in other crimes. In San Diego and Nashville, similar practices brought similar success. In other words domestic violence is not inevitable. Obviously, even the best practices won’t immediately end all domestic violence but I believe they will quickly save $500 billion annually.

The Quincy Solution will save businesses in the United States $79 billion every year in health costs. This would be in the form of reduced health insurance premiums and lower health care costs for companies that self-insure. This $79 billion in savings would likely be divided among increased investments, profits and higher salaries. Each of these responses would be likely to make the business and the economy far stronger and create an improved business climate.

The reduction in crime would also provide significant benefits for the business community. Tax rates should be reduced at all levels of government, not only from the reduction in health care costs, but from savings on law enforcement, the courts and prisons. When women and children are able to live their lives free from abuse and therefore reach their economic potential, governments will receive more tax receipts without increasing the rates and save money in services like food stamps, unemployment and disability. Reduced crime will also reduce expenses for insurance and security. The reduction in domestic violence and child abuse will reduce substance abuse which is a major factor in automobile accidents. This should reduce the cost of insurance for motor vehicles. The dramatic reduction in domestic violence crime will improve the productivity of workers. They will have less absences and better ability to concentrate while on the job. Most gun related violence in the workplace is related to domestic violence. More commonly abusers call or visit their victims at their workplace and harass them there. This not only distracts workers who are victims, but also requires the time of supervisors and human resources offices.

The two leading causes of bankruptcy are serious health problems and going through a divorce. Abusers routinely use legal tactics designed to bankrupt their victims and courts rarely seek to level the playing field. In many of these cases the abuser has threatened to bankrupt her if she leaves him. The failure of custody courts to recognize and respond effectively to domestic violence has encouraged these unspeakably cruel tactics. In many cases victims are forced to use their savings that were intended for the children’s education and their retirement in a desperate attempt to protect their children from abusive fathers. They also borrow money from family, friends and their credit cards in their often futile attempt to save their children. The ACE research demonstrates how exposure to domestic violence and child abuse, which would be dramatically reduced by the Quincy Solution, leads to many serious illnesses including the ten leading causes of death in the United States.

Businesses lose money when debts are discharged in bankruptcy. The destruction of victim’s savings harms the banking and investment industries, but also makes it harder for businesses that need capital for investment. The real estate business and value of homes is also negatively impacted by increased bankruptcies. The victims also have less money to spend as consumers. The many financial benefits of preventing domestic violence are likely to interact in a way that multiplies the improvement in the economy.

Doing Well by Doing Good

Some companies like Avon, Lifetime Television and Valeant Pharmaceuticals have been strong supporters of the work to end domestic violence even before the potential financial benefits were understood. They and other companies did this for altruistic reasons. The business leaders had to weigh their obligations to shareholders with the benefits to the company’s image and the benefit to society. Now that we know the enormous benefits the Quincy Solution will bring to the business community, supporting the work to prevent domestic violence becomes an easy choice because it will clearly benefit shareholders in so many ways.

Business organizations, trade groups and individual companies can lobby to encourage local, state and the federal government to support implementation of the Quincy Solution. They can provide information to the public about the benefits of preventing domestic violence. They can work with local officials to implement the Quincy Solution in the communities where they have offices, factories, or stores. Employees can be encouraged to participate in the campaign for the Quincy Solution and business leaders can be part of the coordinated community response which is an important feature of the Quincy Solution.

At the national level, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) and the Stop Abuse Campaign are leading the campaign to implement the Quincy Solution. Other organizations concerned with domestic violence, child abuse and health issues related to trauma will be joining the campaign. Businesses can help by making contributions to these organizations and to local and state domestic violence and other agencies working to implement the practices shown to prevent most domestic violence crimes. Companies and their leaders can work together with organizations supporting the Quincy Coalition to support the campaign.

Corporations that help make the public aware of the Quincy Solution and support the campaign will receive credit for their good deeds which can only improve their image. As more communities adopt the Quincy Solution, business will start to enjoy the financial benefits that come from the reduction of domestic violence crime. The companies can further benefit by working closely with the experts in domestic violence because they will learn specific practices that can improve their response to personnel and other issues related to domestic violence.

No one alive can remember a time when domestic violence did not exist, even when the term did not exist and the grisly acts were well hidden. Permitting women and children to reach their full economic potential will unleash a power and productiveness the world has never seen before. Inevitably we will be surprised as all the benefits play out.

Join us in this exciting campaign to protect women and children from traumatic but preventable abuse. With the Quincy Solution, it pays to stop domestic violence.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Dad found guilty of molesting 3-year-old daughter during court-ordered vistation, but found not guilty of rape (Australia)

Another father who shouldn't have been granted his custody "rights."

UNNAMED DAD

http://www.cqnews.com.au/news/dad-guilty-of-daughter-sex-attack/2295120/

Dad found guilty of molesting his 3yo daughter

Ebony Battersby | 20th Jun 2014 7:02 AM

A MAN has been found guilty of molesting his then-three-year-old daughter, but not guilty of an alternate charge of rape, during a trial in Gladstone District Court.

Six men and six women found the man, who cannot be identified, guilty of one charge of indecent treatment of a child under 12, under care.

He also faced an alternate charge of rape, on which he was found not guilty.

The defendant's trial, which began on Monday, heard evidence that he had molested his own daughter, who was three years old at the time.

While the jury members were not convinced that penetration had occurred, they found the man had engaged in conduct that had ended in ejaculation.

The offence occurred in 2012 while the man's two daughters were spending the weekend at his residence on a court-ordered visitation.

The victim had repeatedly claimed throughout testimony, and when the complaint was filed, that her father had "put his bits in my bits".

An inconclusive medical examination and the young victim's evidence could not prove a more serious charge of rape.

The defendant's barrister, David Murray, told The Observer that the defendant intended to appeal the decision

Dad kicks 7-year-old daughter while lashing out at police (United Kingdom)

So UNNAMED DAD breaks into his ex-partner's house and refuses to leave. When the police arrive, he kicks his 7-year-old daughter.

But his attorney argues it wasn't like it was intentional. He was aiming for Mum.

Ah got it. So, um, that means it was okay?

What the hell is wrong with these attorneys...

http://www.southendstandard.co.uk/news/southend/11287994.Dad_kicked_daughter__7/

Westcliff dad kicked daughter, 7

5:00pm Thursday 19th June 2014 in Southend

By Helen Barnett . Southend Standard: Dad kicked daughter, 7

A MAN admitted kicking his seven-year- old daughter as he lashed out at police investigating a domestic incident.

The father, 43, from Westcliff, who cannot be named for legal reasons, assaulted his young daughter and a policeman as officers escorted him from his partner’s property.

During a hearing at Southend Magistrates’ Court, Lesley Chipps, prosecuting, said the man was drunk and aggressive when he turned up at his partner’s home on a number of times on Sunday night.

At about 4am on Monday he returned, drunk, and let himself in through an unlocked door. He was arguing and aggressive and was being asked to leave but refused, so police were called.

Police believed he was pretending to be asleep on the sofa when they arrived.

Ms Chipps said: “He was asked to leave the premises but refused, so officers took hold of him.

“He was being obstructive, swinging his arms around. He had to be restrained by officers. It appears the young child was standing in the hallway by the door and as he walked past he kicked out his leg towards her making contact with the right arm. There was some force, it sent her backwards and although there were no visible injuries she grabbed her arm in pain.” .

The court heard the family did not wish to take action against the man, but police, who were witnesses to the assault, urged the prosecution to take action.

Essex Police are currently running a campaign across the county to stamp out domestic abuse.

Adam Merrick, mitigating, said the man was lashing out towards his partner, but struck his daughter by mistake.

He added: “This was a reckless assault. He has said throughout that he was asleep and was woken up by police.

He was angry by being removed from the property. This was reckless, not targeted and this is out of character.”

The Crown Prosecution Service withdrew the assault on the police officer.

The man will appear at Basildon Crown Court on July 1 for sentence. He was remanded in custody until then.