I have spent the past 5 days reading horror stories of children being abused and murdered at the hands of a parent, step parent, or parent's significant other. I am disturbed, angry, disheartened, heartbroken, and a little hopeless. Adults should protect children. Parents should protect children.
It all started when I came across a story about a beautiful girl named Rica Rountree. Rica was abused and murdered by her father's girlfriend. The child had been kicked in her stomach, causing her intestines to tear. Rica died of peritonitis. Her father (Richard Rountree) failed to protect her. He was aware of the abuse and participated, sharing text messages with the girlfriend about how he wished the girl would go somewhere else. He laughed about the abuse in texts and agreed with the girlfriend, Cynthia (Clay) Baker about coaching Rica to lie about how she got her bruises. Though I am happy she was convicted and I hope she gets the maximum in February for sentencing, it is a little too late for that precious girl. Her mother, who has struggled with alcoholism and was facing jail time, admitted that all the adults in her life "failed" Rica. CPS failed Rica, too. Sadly, this was the first of many stories I would come across about the horrible abuse of children by the adults who were suppose to protect them.
Nixzmary Brown, another beautiful girl, murdered by her stepfather. She had been, over time, sexually abused, physically abused, and, ultimately, killed by him. She was forced to use a cat litter box as a toilet, tied to a chair in her room, and was beaten with a belt by him. How she died: Cesar Rodriguez, the stepfather, beat her with his fists after discovering she took a yogurt from the refrigerator. He grabbed her and slammed her into a tub, where she hit her head-blunt force trauma. He forced her head under the faucet and ran cold water on the child. Then he threw her naked body on the floor of her bedroom. Two days later, when her mother (Nixzaliz Santiago) "checked on her", she discovered the child was dead.
Before Nixzmary, there was Elisa Izquierdo-whose head was slammed into a concrete wall-by her mother (Awilda Lopez). The child had been forced to eat feces, her hair used as a mop, and she had been sexually assaulted with a toothbrush and hairbrush-all at the hands of her mother. Awilda admitted to slamming Elisa's head into a concrete wall, saying Elisa did not "walk or talk" after that. When authorities were called and showed up, there was no part of that child's body that had not been beaten. Elisa had brain matter coming out of her mouth and nose. Again, CPS and her mother failed to protect her.
Zymere Perkins was an adorable six year old boy who was abused and murdered by his mother's boyfriend. The mother (Geraldine Perkins) stated that the boyfriend hit Zymere with a broomstick like he was a "piñata". Rysheim Smith, the boyfriend, hung the child from a bathroom door. The little boy died. His mother failed him. CPS failed him.
Emani Moss, Terrell Peterson, Nadine Lockwood, Xzayvion Riley, Titches Lindley. Justina Morales and Kelsey Smith-Briggs are a few more children who were failed by their so-called parents and by government agencies designed to "protect children". The irony of these services being called "child protective services" when these cases are examples of children who were anything but protected by these agencies. With most of these children, there were open and active CPS cases. That means DCFS or CPS-depending on where one lives-were aware of abuse allegations and should have been more diligent in investigating. Instead, the ball was dropped, the buck was passed, and no one wants to take responsibility for it.
In a few of these cases, parents were sentenced not because they issued the final blow that killed the child. But because they KNEW about the abuse, were aware of the abuse, and they chose not to act in a way that would have protected the child. Each of these stories has brought tears to my eyes and made me sad inside for the pain these children endured. Their little bodies battered and abused. Their cries for help. Their pleas for "mommy" to help, to stay with them, to stop the abuse all were ignored.
I am in absolute agreement with states that punish parents for failure to act. As a parent/guardian your job is to protect the child. If you enter a relationship where there is domestic violence, YOU NEED TO LEAVE. If you stay, your child(ren) should be taken from you for subjection to abuse. If a coward hits you, he will definitely hit your children that are not his. Hell, he would even hit the kids that are his. Any person that beats women and children does not deserve to be called a man. YOU ARE A COWARD. And any woman who stays and subjects children-who cannot defend you or themselves-is a horrible parent. You deserve to have your parental rights stripped. At the first sign of abuse, LEAVE. And if you want to stay and get punched on like a punching bag, give those kids to the other parent or family who will love and care for them.
When children see their parent being abused, it angers them and saddens them. The feel helpless. They are only children, it is not their job to protect you. Daughters will grow up thinking abusive relationships are normal. Sons will either be angry that they could not protect you, and they will lash out in some kind of way. They will grow up to abuse women, since they witnessed their mother's abuse. They will grow up thinking women are weak and deserve to be abused. Do not do that to a child. If you need help, seek help. Do not be so quick to bring a partner around your child(ren). Have some esteem and care about yourself. Date up, not down.
As I write this, there are children being abused and hurt in the place that is suppose to be a safe haven. If you know of or suspect abuse, call someone. 1 800 799 7233 is the number for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Childhelp.org lists the number in each state to report child abuse or suspected child abuse. You can always tell a school social worker or any adult who works with children-as they are mandated reporters.
Let us love and raise healthy and happy children. My prayer for today and always is safety, comfort, and blessings for each and every child that is alive.
-Nicole Rene
It all started when I came across a story about a beautiful girl named Rica Rountree. Rica was abused and murdered by her father's girlfriend. The child had been kicked in her stomach, causing her intestines to tear. Rica died of peritonitis. Her father (Richard Rountree) failed to protect her. He was aware of the abuse and participated, sharing text messages with the girlfriend about how he wished the girl would go somewhere else. He laughed about the abuse in texts and agreed with the girlfriend, Cynthia (Clay) Baker about coaching Rica to lie about how she got her bruises. Though I am happy she was convicted and I hope she gets the maximum in February for sentencing, it is a little too late for that precious girl. Her mother, who has struggled with alcoholism and was facing jail time, admitted that all the adults in her life "failed" Rica. CPS failed Rica, too. Sadly, this was the first of many stories I would come across about the horrible abuse of children by the adults who were suppose to protect them.
Nixzmary Brown, another beautiful girl, murdered by her stepfather. She had been, over time, sexually abused, physically abused, and, ultimately, killed by him. She was forced to use a cat litter box as a toilet, tied to a chair in her room, and was beaten with a belt by him. How she died: Cesar Rodriguez, the stepfather, beat her with his fists after discovering she took a yogurt from the refrigerator. He grabbed her and slammed her into a tub, where she hit her head-blunt force trauma. He forced her head under the faucet and ran cold water on the child. Then he threw her naked body on the floor of her bedroom. Two days later, when her mother (Nixzaliz Santiago) "checked on her", she discovered the child was dead.
Before Nixzmary, there was Elisa Izquierdo-whose head was slammed into a concrete wall-by her mother (Awilda Lopez). The child had been forced to eat feces, her hair used as a mop, and she had been sexually assaulted with a toothbrush and hairbrush-all at the hands of her mother. Awilda admitted to slamming Elisa's head into a concrete wall, saying Elisa did not "walk or talk" after that. When authorities were called and showed up, there was no part of that child's body that had not been beaten. Elisa had brain matter coming out of her mouth and nose. Again, CPS and her mother failed to protect her.
Zymere Perkins was an adorable six year old boy who was abused and murdered by his mother's boyfriend. The mother (Geraldine Perkins) stated that the boyfriend hit Zymere with a broomstick like he was a "piñata". Rysheim Smith, the boyfriend, hung the child from a bathroom door. The little boy died. His mother failed him. CPS failed him.
Emani Moss, Terrell Peterson, Nadine Lockwood, Xzayvion Riley, Titches Lindley. Justina Morales and Kelsey Smith-Briggs are a few more children who were failed by their so-called parents and by government agencies designed to "protect children". The irony of these services being called "child protective services" when these cases are examples of children who were anything but protected by these agencies. With most of these children, there were open and active CPS cases. That means DCFS or CPS-depending on where one lives-were aware of abuse allegations and should have been more diligent in investigating. Instead, the ball was dropped, the buck was passed, and no one wants to take responsibility for it.
In a few of these cases, parents were sentenced not because they issued the final blow that killed the child. But because they KNEW about the abuse, were aware of the abuse, and they chose not to act in a way that would have protected the child. Each of these stories has brought tears to my eyes and made me sad inside for the pain these children endured. Their little bodies battered and abused. Their cries for help. Their pleas for "mommy" to help, to stay with them, to stop the abuse all were ignored.
I am in absolute agreement with states that punish parents for failure to act. As a parent/guardian your job is to protect the child. If you enter a relationship where there is domestic violence, YOU NEED TO LEAVE. If you stay, your child(ren) should be taken from you for subjection to abuse. If a coward hits you, he will definitely hit your children that are not his. Hell, he would even hit the kids that are his. Any person that beats women and children does not deserve to be called a man. YOU ARE A COWARD. And any woman who stays and subjects children-who cannot defend you or themselves-is a horrible parent. You deserve to have your parental rights stripped. At the first sign of abuse, LEAVE. And if you want to stay and get punched on like a punching bag, give those kids to the other parent or family who will love and care for them.
When children see their parent being abused, it angers them and saddens them. The feel helpless. They are only children, it is not their job to protect you. Daughters will grow up thinking abusive relationships are normal. Sons will either be angry that they could not protect you, and they will lash out in some kind of way. They will grow up to abuse women, since they witnessed their mother's abuse. They will grow up thinking women are weak and deserve to be abused. Do not do that to a child. If you need help, seek help. Do not be so quick to bring a partner around your child(ren). Have some esteem and care about yourself. Date up, not down.
As I write this, there are children being abused and hurt in the place that is suppose to be a safe haven. If you know of or suspect abuse, call someone. 1 800 799 7233 is the number for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Childhelp.org lists the number in each state to report child abuse or suspected child abuse. You can always tell a school social worker or any adult who works with children-as they are mandated reporters.
Let us love and raise healthy and happy children. My prayer for today and always is safety, comfort, and blessings for each and every child that is alive.
-Nicole Rene
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