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abuse
February 2009 
The Littlest Casket
Posted on Dec 2nd, 2008
by 
Jackie
Jackie
Let me start by saying I don't watch the news. Don't. Ever. Tonight I just happened to forget to turn off the tv after one of my shows and on came the 11 o'clock news. The headline story - a 20 month old baby girl, beaten to death by her 18 year old mother's 15 year old boyfriend.
The news showed clips from the child's funeral. The casket was closed. My hands just tremble and my eyes well up as I imagine just why its a closed casket service...
I've only been to one funeral in my life. It was for a wonderful old lady who lived in our neighborhood that I loved very dearly. The casket was big and beautiful and sad. Big. The casket was big. I've heard they make caskets for children. After all, there are many who die natural, unavoidable deaths. Others are victims of acts of God. But to actually see this casket and to know who was in it...and why...It was the Littlest Casket I've ever seen. Tiny and all white. White, in most socities is a sign of purity, of innocence. Exactly what lay inside the LIttlest Casket.
There were several reasons for the baby in the Littlest Casket. The first being parents who weren't ready to be parents. Parents who had no type of support, probably no education regarding children and who were allowd to leave the hospital without anyone asking too many questions. The 15 year old boy was not the girls father, just the moms current "thing". Who knows where the father was. Where was the mother while her thing beat her baby to death? Then there was the child's daycare provider, who thought she was being beaten from the many bruises she always came in with, and didn't report it. Did not report suspected abuse. I am happy to announce that she was arrested along with the mother and her boyfriend. In our state it is mandatory for all teachers, daycare providers and medical professionals to report suspected abuse of a child. Had she stepped up the Littlest Casket might still be in storage.
The news team interviewed an abuse counselor this evening. One of the things she said is "someone always knows." People choose not to say anything to keep from rocking the boat, causing a fight with neighbors, to keep the family together -whatever the reason abuse goes unreported all the time. All calls are kept annoymous, is what she reminded everyone. Do your part. Do you know an abused child? Keep them from being the next one inside the Littlest Casket.
The news showed clips from the child's funeral. The casket was closed. My hands just tremble and my eyes well up as I imagine just why its a closed casket service...
I've only been to one funeral in my life. It was for a wonderful old lady who lived in our neighborhood that I loved very dearly. The casket was big and beautiful and sad. Big. The casket was big. I've heard they make caskets for children. After all, there are many who die natural, unavoidable deaths. Others are victims of acts of God. But to actually see this casket and to know who was in it...and why...It was the Littlest Casket I've ever seen. Tiny and all white. White, in most socities is a sign of purity, of innocence. Exactly what lay inside the LIttlest Casket.
There were several reasons for the baby in the Littlest Casket. The first being parents who weren't ready to be parents. Parents who had no type of support, probably no education regarding children and who were allowd to leave the hospital without anyone asking too many questions. The 15 year old boy was not the girls father, just the moms current "thing". Who knows where the father was. Where was the mother while her thing beat her baby to death? Then there was the child's daycare provider, who thought she was being beaten from the many bruises she always came in with, and didn't report it. Did not report suspected abuse. I am happy to announce that she was arrested along with the mother and her boyfriend. In our state it is mandatory for all teachers, daycare providers and medical professionals to report suspected abuse of a child. Had she stepped up the Littlest Casket might still be in storage.
The news team interviewed an abuse counselor this evening. One of the things she said is "someone always knows." People choose not to say anything to keep from rocking the boat, causing a fight with neighbors, to keep the family together -whatever the reason abuse goes unreported all the time. All calls are kept annoymous, is what she reminded everyone. Do your part. Do you know an abused child? Keep them from being the next one inside the Littlest Casket.
Access: Public
My wife and I had to turn this off. we often feel as if we have no choice but to turn away… I almost feel like they should go door to door to stop the violence.
doesn't seem like there is an easy solution – shock value sells about as much as sex does these days — neither of which is great for family values.
I have a baptist background by the way – I have come to believe the lord has other sheep as mentioned in the new testiment. so i am open to all and attached to nothing. I pray but don't mind if others call it meditation. I listen for the still small voice but I don't mind if others call it by another name.
I'm sorry if it really bothered you, I guess I wrote it to hopefully help people think about the little ways they can help people. All it would have taken was one phone call from the daycare provider to get the child out of the house - and she would still be on this earth.
The Bible tells us that young children are innocent of sin and get to go to Heaven, so that is the only comfort I take from that newscast, that she is better where she is now.
And yeah, I wanted to turn the tv off…And honestly I normally do. Next time I'll be more careful!
Jackie, this is important as a post. People need to wake up and feel free to report abuse.
Human Right #1. We are all born free and equal
We must take action and report abuse and the more reports that are in, the faster we can take action against atrocities like this.
You are right. This could have been stopped. The more we educate and enlighten people and not hide from this confront, the faster our human rights will be known even more world wide. To the degree we confront is to the same degree we will no longer be the adverse effect.
Thanks for bringing up the awareness.
I get so sick over these cases; I am sorry, but no matter what the “excuse” is, there is something else going on, as mental illness. Too young does not cut it. And as for the day care worker; SHAME ON HER. As a future counselor, I find these cases horrible. I had a mentally ill mother who hit me for no reason-she did not beat me, but no one knew what to do, so they did nothing. Lucky for me, I grew up.
I am also currently a substitute teacher-I have been a Big/Sister-it is the law here, also, to report abuse.
I agree. My mother is most certainly mentally ill, but no one has ever demanded she seek treatment! They just take the kids away and give them back - over and over again. I do believe there can certainly be some what of an age component to it though. It seems like a ton of the cases where I live are of very young parents. I would be interested to actually see some numbers about it.
I can’t believe the daycare worker - but I have to say it almost doesn’t surprise me. I worked for a daycare before my son was born and I swear the workers are just as bad as the parents who abuse them sometimes. It was an inner city daycare where most of the kids were mandated by CPS to be there, so the parents weren’t paying a cent and it seemed like they would hire any Joe Smoe off the street to work with these poor kids. I can’t even tell you how many times I went to the director to report EMPLOYEES, let alone parents. I quit as soon as I could and that is exactly why I am a stay at home mom. We can’t afford daycare, but we are low income enough that he could have gotton aid, but it would have been to one of these horrible places like where I was working…The only room where they had good workers was the infant room. Praise God - at least no body was shaking those poor babies.
Parents should be petrified to leave their children with anyone except a trusted family member in today’s world. I would be so paranoid if I had a baby sitter, I would have a camera in the house.
I really want my 2 year old to go to PreK, I think he needs to be with other kids, he is soo social. BUT, I will be popping in all the time to see what is going on in the classroom, and I don’t plan on calling first. I’m surprised more parents don’t sit in and watch the classroom dynamics before deciding to leave their kid. And yeah, the only teenager I trust with my kids is my 13 year old “sister”. I don’t just let the kid down the street watch my babies.