Make Sure You Know The Cases of Child Abuse

Reading about child abuse cases is often disheartening and distressing. It seems that the individuals who are responsible for subjecting children to abuse and neglect never receive the punishment that they deserve.

For example, in 2008 Jon Pomeroy and his wife, Rebecca Long, were discovered subjecting Pomeroy's daughter to severe neglect and abuse. In this child abuse case, the Carnation, Washington couple were withholding food and water from Pomeroy's fourteen-year-old daughter as a form of punishment. The girl was only provided with a mouthful of water a day and was fed only toast.

One night the girl was caught sneaking out of her room to find water. She feared that her stepmother would hear the sink running, so she resorted to drinking water from the toilet. She was caught anyway, and as a result, she was locked in her parents' room in order to ensure that she did not sneak to the bathroom to drink water. Her showers were monitored to guarantee that she did not drink any shower water.

The girl was extremely malnourished and very emaciated, weighing only 48 pounds. Her teeth were severely eroded and she had to have six of them removed. The teenager spent two weeks in the hospital recovering from her extensive and long term maltreatment.

The detective who was leading the case stated that it was the worst child abuse case he had ever seen. If the girl was not rescued when she was, then the abuse may have been fatal. However, the individuals who were responsible for subjecting the girl to this maltreatment and torment only received four years in prison as a punishment.

A similar child abuse case occurred in Arizona, where Scott Bass and his wife, Andrea Bass, locked their fourteen-year-old daughter in the bathroom with no running water for two months. In this child abuse case, the girl was forced to exercise until she reached the point of exhaustion, and she was often beaten with metal poles.

One of the most severe child abuse cases of the last few years comes out of Plant City, Florida, where in 2005 Plant City Police entered into a child abuse investigation and found a 'feral' child. The girl, 7-year-old Danielle, was found naked in a dark closet. Her hair was matted and covered with lice and she was lying on a moldy mattress surrounded by bugs. She had sores, rashes, and bug bites covering her skin.

She was wearing a diaper that was full of urine and feces and dirty diapers covered the floor of the trailer in which the family lived. Feces covered the walls of the trailer and cockroaches were everywhere. The girl weighed only 48 pounds and was unable to eat solid food. She spent a great deal of time recovering in the hospital.

This child abuse case is one of the most extreme documented neglect cases in history. Doctors believe that due to this extensive neglect, the girl will suffer from life long disabilities. She did not know how to speak or even how to nod her head in response to a question. She had no method of communication, she did not display emotion, and she could not take part in any activity that normal children can.

Due to the neglect that she experienced, Danielle will never lead a normal life. This child abuse case raises serious concerns for two reasons. Before Danielle was taken away in 2005, the State child abuse hotline was contacted twice by two different individuals and resulted in two child abuse investigations. Although the situation was not as dire as it was when Danielle was discovered in 2005, both visits uncovered an environment and a situation that a child should not be raised in.

However, the neglected child was left in the care of her mother. When Danielle was finally taken away from her mother, Michelle, in 2005, Michelle was not sentenced to any jail time for her actions. Michelle Crockett is responsible for destroying any chance at a normal life for her daughter and all she was punished with was a few years of probation.

Currently, the most common child abuse cases involve priests and clergymen subjecting children to sexual abuse. These child abuse cases are widespread throughout Europe and are also surfacing in the United States and Canada.

Hundreds of victims of this abuse are stepping forward and forcing the perpetrators to resign from their positions. Most of these child abuse cases are historical, with the abuse having occurred many decades ago. Often, individuals who attended or resided in religious institutions were subjected to extensive physical and sexual abuse. Contact a child abuse lawyer to provide legal protection for children.

New accusations are materializing on a regular basis. In some cases, one priest is facing hundreds of different allegations of abuse. These child abuse cases have been having an extremely negative effect on the Catholic Church, and on religion in general.

NEXT: Make Sure You Know Your Child Abuse Resources