Child Abuse: Analyzing a Problem in Our Society

Everyone will recall the case of Susan Smith. She was the South Carolina woman who killed her two children by taking off the emergency break of her car and letting it coast into the lake and drowning her two children as they slept. She was convicted of their murders and was given life in prison. She will be eligible for parole in 2025.

Most would say that she does not deserve to even be eligible for parole. Yet, she will get the opportunity to present her case to the parole board. This does not mean she will get paroled, and we certainly hope that she doesn't. Still, most agree that at the very least it should have been life without the possibility of parole or death.

Still, there are many families of murdered children who only wish they could get this type of justice. Life with possibility of parole in 30 years is far better then the justice their murdered child will get. The family of a murdered 22 month old baby girl in Kentucky will see the murderer of this precious child get 5 years in prison. Another child in Florida who was nearly starved to death, will see the abuser face a sentence of one year in county jail and 5 years probation.

These are but a couple of cases. All across this great country of ours. children are being abused, and the sentences of their abuses hardly express the justice they deserve. Short sentences, limited jail terms, and plea bargains allow Child Abusers to run free to create more children to abuse. Many do not even see one day in jail.

I know of a mother and father in my own county, in Ohio, who were only charged with misdemeanors when they allowed their children - 4 and 2 - to run the streets. Oh, they did finally lose custody of these kids, but even that took a near accident to make this happen.

There are cases where children have been found bruised, beaten, and near death with no charges filed at all. The reason was not enough evidence. There are still many more unsolved murders of children who are known to have been killed by parents, but not enough evidence exists to even take them to trial.