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A Far Away Place :: ¡BIENVENIDO! :: The Silver Dragon Cafe :: The Soapbox :: Child Abuse

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Topic: Child Abuse (Read 239 times)

Drago
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Child Abuse
« Thread Started on Jan 19, 2007, 6:34pm »

I saw something rather disturbing today. Something that took me from a moment that gave me cause to smile, to stunned anger in the blink of an eye. More aptly, the repeated slap of a hand.

I had an 11 AM doctors appt. today, but I actually got there at 10:30. I decided I would take advantage of the extra time and get a few things accomplished on my laptop. I had parked ( I always back into parking spots) directly across from the solitary door to the doctors office. From that door stretched (in my direction) a raised walkway that lead to a wheelchair ramp that set you onto the surface of the parking lot. Leading away from both sides that ramp were blue handicap lines the reached about 12 ft. into the parking lot.

With my laptop perched on my right knee I was looking up a business location and I caught movement over the top left corner of my screen. I looked out the windshield and I saw a man and woman that I would guess to be in their mid-60's. Along with them was a little boy who couldn't have been more than 3 or 4, though my guess would be the former.

The man was walking with the aid of a walker. He had stopped near the passenger door of a white mini-van that was parked in the spot to the left of the blue lines. As he waited within the blue lines, the woman opened the door to the van and stepped back so that he could get in. While this was going on the little boy had stopped and stood, waiting next to the car on the right side of the blues lines. The man stepped into the open door of the van, but didn't climb in. He stood there waiting for a few moments.

At this point I had fixed my gaze on the little boy. He was cute as hell as he stood there packed into his winter coat. He had both arms raised parallel to the ground and his eyes were transfixed by something that was either in or on his hands as he held them in front of his face. I found myself smiling because he was just too cute. It was at that precise moment that the woman smacked him with an open hand on the left side of his head.

It came from nowhere and from my perspective it was completely unprovoked. The boy had merely been standing there, waiting for them. The momentum from the strike caused the boy to take a step or two to his right. At this point the woman now stood in my line of sight and he was no longer clearly visible to me, though I was able to see his legs as I looked between hers. She then hit him 5 more times in an up and down motion. I didn't see any of these blows actually connect with him, but the movement of his little legs told me all that I needed to know.

I was stunned by what I had witnessed. As I said the little boy was only standing there waiting. It didn't matter if he had done something anyway. No child deserves that type of treatment. Given her lack of cause, the attack could only be summed up as an assault in my eyes and my moment of admiration for the little guy quickly turned to burning anger focused squarely on the woman.

My first instinct was to get out of my car and tell her to quit hitting him, but the fact was that I was in my company issued vehicle that bore the company name on it's side. Not wanting the company to be dragged into the matter I remained in the car and reached for my pad and pen to write down the tag number as well as make and model of the van.

The man finally got into the van and the woman then put the little boy in the back and they backed out of their spot. As they passed in front of me the man looked over at me. I'm not sure if he noticed the look on my face, but I'm certain that it betrayed what I was feeling as my eyes locked with his. I know I was hoping that he noticed the look on my face. My anger wasn't focused on him, but from what I could tell he had said nothing to the woman as she hit the boy. Certainly he was too frail to have stopped her physically.

At that moment I found myself dialing Valentine, seeking her advice. I knew that I had to call the police, but I think I needed her to help me snap out of my disbelief at what I'd seen. She told me to follow my conscience. We hung up and I called the police. They asked me to come to the station and file a report which I did after my appointment was over. They took my name and number and told me that I may be hearing from them in the future. They told me that someone would be sent to the woman's address to get statements from both adults, as well as a rep from child welfare services to evaluate the boy's condition.

Who knows what will become of the situation, but I personally hope the woman ends up in court. I'd gladly take the opportunity to tell a judge what I saw her do. Someone has to speak for that little boy. It might as well be me. Even if she doesn't get arrested the officer's visit may serve as a wake up call to her. I certainly hope so.

« Last Edit: Jan 19, 2007, 6:36pm by Drago »