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Man tells court of sexual abuse at hands of teacher - Ireland On-Line

A man has told a jury that he suffered physical and sexual abuse at the hands of his primary school teacher almost forty years ago. The 66-year-old accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded not (NOT) guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal ...

Dublin man gets 10 years for rape - Irish Times

A notorious Dublin criminal has been jailed for ten years for one of the “most repulsive” sex offences ever encountered at the Central Criminal Court. Mr Justice Paul Carney declared Stephen “Rossi” Walsh (62) of Belgrave Road, Rathgar, a sex ...

Dublin criminal jailed for 'repulsive' sex act on nine-year-old - Ireland On-Line

A notorious Dublin criminal has been jailed for 10 years for one of the “most repulsive” sex offences ever encountered at ... me has not gone away, it will never go away, I am a victim of real child abuse”, she stated. The jury took seven hours ...

Man remanded for sentencing for sex assault on girl (9) - Irish Times

... out by Isobel Kennedy SC, prosecuting, that she had been attending counselling since 2004 for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and feelings of shame and self-loathing. She said aside from “severe physical ... real child abuse,” she ...

Mother of dead frozen girls won't go for insanity defense - Washington Examiner

Renee Bowman has already been sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to abusing her third adopted daughter, age 7, in Calvert County. It was the discovery ... Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy is prosecuting the case ...

Yoo's Lies About Obama - American Chronicle

It's not that I really object to lies about Obama. Most people lie about Obama to make him look good, for the same reason they lie about death or God -- because they can't handle the truth. Others lie about Obama because Fox News told them to or ...

February 2010 - Austin American-Statesman

Two men are in jail tonight in connection with an attempted home invasion robbery in Southwest Austin, Austin Police Department officials said. At 5:32 a.m. Saturday, police responded to a 911 call in the 3900 block of Tamil Street. According to an ...

Resolved Question: I have custody question?

-My son's father has not visited him since he was 2 (7.5 years ago). -I was granted full legal/physical custody of my son in the custody agreement. -I remarried when my son was 3 and has an excellent step dad (msgt. USAF, awesome, loving, etc) -My son is successful academically and socially -My ex was prosecuted (plea bargained) for spousal abuse (kicking me in the back while pregnant). -My ex lives 8 hours away. Should I encourage a relationship between my son and this man? His girlfriend (not he) contacted me asking about this. Part of my bachelor's degree was dedicated to child welfare/education. I remember hearing that healthy STABILITY is one of the most important things in a child's life. Does reintroducing, or essentially introducing, this man to my son seem like anything more than bringing chaos to his life? more

Resolved Question: Looking for a brilliant child abuse/family lawyer and organisations?

My husband and his family have been physically, verbally, and emotionally abusive towards me throughout our marriage of 6 years +. My mother-in-law extended the verbal and emotional abuse to our toddler son right from birth. During her last visit, her abuse of our toddler escalated to being physical and my husband was in her support! Our son is now 3 years old and at the end of November, he made a devastating revelation to me - he told me that his father has been sexually abusing him! Social Services got involved and they contacted the police, but it seems that they will not be able to prosecute the case as they feel that my son is too young to lie, so the disclosure is true, but because he is too young, his testimony cannot be used in court! His father in the meantime is threatening fire and brimstone on me, that I made this up! Please I need help with contacts with good lawyers and organisations to assist me in keeping my son safe as the system is clearly about to fail him and expose him to further abuse and/or death! PLEASE HELP! My husband is demanding access to the children and social services have already granted him twice a week contact with my second son (5month old baby) starting this week! I am terrified as to what he could do to my poor kids and me. By the way his mother practises african black magic and has constantly threatened and attacked me with it in the past. My husband has also never had any interest in sex with me, he prefers gay pornography and finally recently admitted that he is gay. I am not homophobic, so I accepted him as he is and offered him support and any assistance he thinks he'd need from me. But by molesting our son, he has crossed the line.Thank you so much happy rainbow. God bless. more

Resolved Question: Amnesty for Law breakers?

She was 14 when her mother smuggled her into Los Angeles. She met her future husband, a legal resident, two years later. A Guatemalan immigrant now has legal United States residency after helping the authorities prosecute her husband for abuse. She asked that her identity be withheld for fear of retaliation. Bay Area Report He had all the cards, and played them cruelly, as she recalls. He would not let her go to school or work, dragged his feet on supporting her citizenship request, and called her fat and ugly after she became pregnant. She endured it all — until she caught him romancing a 13-year-old girl from their church choir. When she complained, he beat her bloody, tried to rape her, and fled, with the girl, to Arizona, she said in an affidavit that is now part of federal immigration records. Today, he is in prison, and she is caring for her children in San Francisco, with a driver’s license and a legal job baby-sitting. Her legal status came about through what is known as a U visa — a humanitarian “island of niceness,” as one advocate called it, in a sea of restrictive United States immigration laws. Victims of domestic violence are often deeply reluctant to press charges, fearing retaliation or simply hoping their abusers will change. The risk of deportation only escalates the aversion to go to the police. That is a main reason that Congress passed legislation in 2000, creating the U visa. It allows immigrants who have endured substantial mental or physical abuse and who cooperate with law enforcement officials to work legally and stay in the United States for up to four years while applying for permanent residence. After nearly a decade of delays, federal officials began allowing the visas en masse only early last year, after sustained efforts from immigrant rights groups, particularly several based in Oakland and San Francisco. The pace of approvals has since stepped up, as has the controversy, with both defense lawyers and groups opposed to immigration contending that the process invites scams. More on this here http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/08/us/08sfimmigrant.html Here is another story about prison abuse Sexual Abuse by Prison and Jail Staff Proves Persistent, Pandemic by Gary Hunter Sexual assault, rape, indecency, deviance. These terms represent reprehensible behavior in our society. They also represent recurring themes in our nation’s prisons – not only by prisoners, but also by guards and other staff members. PLN’s August 2006 cover story, Guards Rape of Prisoners Rampant, No Solution in Sight, profiled examples of sexual abuse by prison guards and other employees in 26 states. Since that time the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission has issued proposed standards to reduce sexual abuse behind bars, and the Bureau of Justice Statistics has released reports on sexual victimization in our nation’s prisons and jails. The latter reports found that over 60% of allegations of sexual abuse involved staff members rather than other prisoners. What has not changed in the past several years is the continued rape and sexual exploitation of prisoners by prison and jail employees who are supposed to ensure their safety. All 50 states have enacted laws criminalizing sex between prisoners and prison staff; thus, employees who engage in sexual misconduct can no longer claim consent as a defense. Due to the nature of prisons as “total institutions,” it is impossible for prisoners to voluntarily consent to sexual advances by staff members who exert complete control over their lives – and in some cases over their release from prison. https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/21225_displayArticle.aspx Now do you think its fair for one group who breaks the law to get a reward? Meanwhile another group who also breaks the law. Is being told that they are getting what they deserve in jail! Can anyone see a problem here? If so please tell me why one group should get a reward while another group is told that its their own fault.Drbne no one is advocating the release of a child molester. This child molester was already engaged in illegal activity when he was aiding and abetting an illegal activity. What I want to prove here is that supporters of illegal aliens are themselves criminals. Just like a serial killer is engaged in more then one illegal activity. If this lady from Guatemala wanted to she could have grabbed her kids and ran. She only reported him since he broke up with her. She cared nothing for the child that was being molested. You need to stop making stuff up to support illegal activity.Another thing is that we do not know if the child molester was an illegal alien himself. That was of course left out by the media. http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=50441 So I am willing to bet the child molester was an illegal alien himself. more

Resolved Question: Do you agree with U visa's for illegal aliens who claim domestic violence?

Is this not another way for illegals to commit fraud and cry domestic violence to just become legal? The mother put her in this situation and would have had to sign for her to get married. Shouldn't the mother be prosecuted? Why should illegal aliens who are here breaking laws, who put themselves in these positions be allowed a special visa? xXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX And for those who will ask, I am totally against domestic violence, I donate and have many friends who work at a womans shelter. I say remove them from the situation and send them back to their countries. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX She was 14 when her mother smuggled her into Los Angeles. She met her future husband, a legal resident, two years later. Theo Rigby for The New York Times A Guatemalan immigrant now has legal United States residency after helping the authorities prosecute her husband for abuse. She asked that her identity be withheld for fear of retaliation. He had all the cards, and played them cruelly, as she recalls. He would not let her go to school or work, dragged his feet on supporting her citizenship request, and called her fat and ugly after she became pregnant. She endured it all — until she caught him romancing a 13-year-old girl from their church choir. When she complained, he beat her bloody, tried to rape her, and fled, with the girl, to Arizona, she said in an affidavit that is now part of federal immigration records. Today, he is in prison, and she is caring for her children in San Francisco, with a driver’s license and a legal job baby-sitting. Her legal status came about through what is known as a U visa — a humanitarian “island of niceness,” as one advocate called it, in a sea of restrictive United States immigration laws. Victims of domestic violence are often deeply reluctant to press charges, fearing retaliation or simply hoping their abusers will change. The risk of deportation only escalates the aversion to go to the police. That is a main reason that Congress passed legislation in 2000, creating the U visa. It allows immigrants who have endured substantial mental or physical abuse and who cooperate with law enforcement officials to work legally and stay in the United States for up to four years while applying for permanent residence. After nearly a decade of delays, federal officials began allowing the visas en masse only early last year, after sustained efforts from immigrant rights groups, particularly several based in Oakland and San Francisco. The pace of approvals has since stepped up, as has the controversy, with both defense lawyers and groups opposed to immigration contending that the process invites scams. For millions of immigrants and their supporters, however, the program is truly an island of niceness, as Catherine Ward-Seitz, the regional immigration coordinator for Bay Area Legal Aid in San Francisco, put it. With a soured economy encouraging hostility at worst and apathy at best toward illegal immigrants, the U visas are a bittersweet consolation prize. In a compassionate twist on the idea that felons should be imprisoned, victims who can show that guns (or knives or fists) were used against them can be released from the fear of deportation. While victims of several specified crimes are eligible, at least three-fourths of the applicants for U visas to date, like the Guatemalan baby sitter, who asked that her name not be used for fear of retaliation from her spouse, say they have suffered domestic violence, said Chris Rhatigan, a spokeswoman for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigration lawyers said this was largely because of the prevalence of domestic violence in general. Ending impunity in cases of domestic violence makes whole communities safer, proponents say. “These are disclosure-driven crimes, meaning people have to come forth and report them; there’s no gunshot to bring it to our attention,” said Lt. Kevin Wiley, commander of the Oakland Police Department’s special victims unit, which certified 153 U visas last year. “It’s all about building trust,” Lieutenant Wiley said, adding that police certification of the visas was a powerful tool in creating bonds among wary residents who have long been the silent victims of a range of crimes, like the robberies of illegal immigrants known on the streets as “amigo checkings.” What is more, Lieutenant Wiley said, the police often discover that domestic violence offenders have multiple victims. Congress approved an annual limit of 10,000 U visas. Yet the regulations that would put the law in force were not made final by the Department of Homeland Security until September 2007. A few dozen U visas were approved in 2008. Then the pace increased. In the fiscal year ending last September, immigration officials approved 5,825. Another 2,244No blame is put on the victim for this, but it should not be used as a crutch for the laws they have broken, like I said, remove the abused from the situation and deport them back to their homelands. more

Resolved Question: Immigrant crimes: Who deserves deportation?

Courts on two fronts looked for boundaries Monday on an important question of federal immigration law: What crimes are so serious that they require deportation for any noncitizen who commits them? A federal appeals court ruled in a case from Solano County that statutory rape doesn't always require deportation. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to decide whether a legal immigrant in Texas must be deported because of a second misdemeanor conviction for drug possession. Both cases involve a law signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996 that requires deportation of any immigrant, legal or illegal, who commits an "aggravated felony," a category of crimes that courts are still trying to define. It includes some drug and sex crimes that are misdemeanors - punishable by no more than a year in jail - rather than felonies. If a noncitizen has committed such a crime, "the judge can't take into consideration (U.S.) military service, the effect on a U.S. citizen spouse, parent or kids, or how long (the immigrant has) been here," said Benita Jain of the Immigrant Defense Project, which filed arguments with the Supreme Court in the drug case. Immigrants convicted of other crimes can be also be deported if a judge decides they are dangerous and do not qualify for exemptions based on such factors as family hardships. The Solano County case involves Luis Pelayo-Garcia, 42, of Vacaville, who entered the United States illegally from Mexico in 1985 at age 17. He was on the verge of gaining legal residency in 1998 when officials learned that he had recently been convicted of statutory rape. According to his lawyer, Gloria Martinez-Senftner, Pelayo was working at a restaurant and raising three young children after his wife left him, and took a co-worker into his home along with her husband and daughter. At age 29, he became involved with the daughter and intended to marry her, believing she was 18, his lawyer said. But when the girl became pregnant, hospital employees learned she was only 15 and called police. Immigration judges said Pelayo's crime was an aggravated felony and ordered him deported, but they were overruled Monday by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The federal law defines "sexual abuse of a minor" as an aggravated felony. But California's statutory rape law, prohibiting anyone older than 21 from having sex with a person under 16, does not require proof of physical or psychological abuse for conviction, the court said in a 3-0 ruling. The Supreme Court case involves Jose Carachuri-Rosendo, who entered the United States with his family as a child and has been a legal resident since 1993. He pleaded guilty in Texas to misdemeanor marijuana possession in 2004 and pleaded no contest a year later to misdemeanor possession of the anti-anxiety drug Xanax without a prescription. A federal appeals court ordered Carachuri deported, citing a federal law that allows any repeat drug offender to be prosecuted as a recidivist, which is defined as an aggravated felony even if the crimes were misdemeanors. Carachuri, who was not charged as a recidivist in Texas, appealed to the Supreme Court, which agreed to decide his case by June. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/15/BAR71B46EV.DTL more

Resolved Question: Have you guys seen this article on AOL today (Guatemalan Army Stole Kids for Adoption)?

I just read this article on AOL... they say a lot of the stolen Guatemalan kids ended up in the U.S. So sad!!!!!!! (Sept. 12) -- The Guatemalan army stole at least 333 children and sold them for adoption in other countries during the Central American nation's 36-year civil war, a government report has concluded. Many of those children ended up in the United States, as well as Sweden, Italy and France, said the report's author and lead investigator, Marco Tulio Alvarez. In some cases, the report said, parents were killed so the children could be taken and given to government-operated agencies to be adopted abroad. In other instances, the children were abducted without physical harm to the parents. "This was a great abuse by the state," Alvarez told CNN on Friday. Investigators started examining records in May 2008 for a period that spanned from 1977-89, said Alvarez, the director of the Guatemalan Peace Archive, a commission established by President Alvaro Colom. Of 672 records investigators looked at, Alvarez said, they determined that 333 children had been stolen. The children were taken for financial and political reasons, he said. Alvarez acknowledges that many more children possibly were taken. Investigators zeroed in on the 1977-89 period because peak adoptions occurred during that time frame, particularly in 1986. They will investigate through 1995 and hope to have another report ready by early next year, he said. A presidential ministry has determined that about 45,000 people disappeared during the nation's civil war, which lasted from 1960 to 1996. About 5,000 of those were children, the ministry said. Another 200,000 people died in the conflict between the leftist guerrillas and right-wing governments. The nation's public ministry and attorney general's office will determine whether anyone is prosecuted over the abductions, Alvarez said. Asked if he would like to see prosecutions, Alvarez answered, "I hope so." Alvarez said he has attended several reunions of abducted children -- now adults -- and family members. "I can't tell you how happy that makes me," he said. Adoption has served as a source of income in Guatemala for decades. The war just made it easier for abuses at the hands of soldiers to occur. Guatemala has the world's highest per capita rate of adoption and is one of the leading providers of adoptive children for the United States. Nearly one in 100 babies born in Guatemala end up with adoptive parents in the United States, according to the U.S. consulate in Guatemala. Adoptions can cost up to $30,000, providing a large financial incentive in a country where the World Bank says about 75 percent of the people live below the poverty level. Officials fear that often times mothers are paid -- or coerced -- into giving up their children. Some unscrupulous lawyers and notaries, who have greater power in Guatemala than they do in the United States, have taken advantage of the extreme poverty and limited government oversight over adoptions to enrich themselves. Alvarez said corrupt lawyers and notaries were the driving force behind many of the army abductions of children. The problem is confounded because many Guatemalan parents can't provide for their children. The United Nations' World Food Programme says Guatemala has the fourth highest rate of chronic malnutrition in the world and the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean. Chronic undernutrition affects about half of the nation's children under the age of 5, the U.N. agency said. Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom Caballeros declared a state of national calamity this week because so many citizens do not have food or proper nutrition. Despite the nation's problems, Alvarez hopes some good will come of the report, which was released Thursday. "We have to tell the truth about what happened," he said. "Guatemalan society must know what happened and must never allow it to happen again." CNN's Arthur Brice contributed to this report. © 2009 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2009-09-12 10:37:53 more

Resolved Question: Should the Catholic Church be prosecuted for crimes against humanity for the horrors uncovered in Ireland?

The Irish have published a report showing the abuse carried out by Catholic children homes in Ireland. The Church allowed the physical and sexual abuse of thousands of children. Should this church be punished and prosecuted at the International Court in the Hague ? more

Resolved Question: What is the law on child abuse?

1.) I'm 18 years of age. 2.) I would like to prosecute for sexual, physical, and mental abuse. 3.) I want to know, even if i'm 18 can i still prosecute for abuse when i was younger. 4.) I have evidence and witnesses more

Voting Question: what would you do? temp thoughts; long-term thoughts?

As the mom, I am in a household where there are 4 children. Everything could not be more chaotic than the situation I am dealing with. I am hoping simple answers could help set us off in the right direction. I am a 38 year old professional(architect) with a very small town sense about life. I have a 10 year old of a sweetheart son. We joined another family that consists of Dad, a five year old boy, and a 13 year old girl. This was 4 years ago. All three children lived with us. When we met, The one year old boy had a young mom whom always stated that her son was an accident; (much more about her later). The 9 year old girl has a completely different mom whom a year before was prosecuted with the run of the mill meth lab in her home. Her boyfriend received all charges with that; she pops in and out of our lives. My husband has a great job and grosses 6k a month. I am now a stay home mom with a one year old boy, a 5 year old boy, a 10 year boy, and a 13 year old daughter. My huge problem is with the 5 year old boy. He has been forced to live with me as his step-mom since he was one. I say this because his mom was a big part of his life from the beginning. We are a tight knit family(both my husband and I are 4th generations in this area/town). The relationship is false, in other words, she lives with her parents at 26(now) has no job and was busted in a meth house on the 16th of August. This five year old boy has rarely seen her in the last year, and there house is 2 blocks from ours with his Elementary school right flat in the middle of our 2 homes. The five year old has had medical problems outside the norm. He is the only grandchild on that side and is spoiled. He is very emotional, has fits of anger/crying/screaming over dropping his sucker on the ground. He runs around in circles screaming as though his finger was just cut off. He lies. He creates stories, usually containing violence and sexual remarks. He has been know to kick/hit people in there privates and slap his 13 year old sister on her but. He pees his bed every night; he pees during the day during normal activities and ignores it. He has become the master of disguise. He is so smart, and so defiant. His dad is at a loss. The discipline is not structured or logical. He spends a lot of time in his room. His general character,when he is not upset, which he is more that 50% of the time, is to be in every ones Else's business. I mean he is right in your face, and mostly just to start a fight. I cannot leave him alone with any of the other children. He is aggressive, and mean both physically and mentally. My Challenge as the step- mother now, since the meths bust on his mom, is to deal with personal ridicule. When directing him in doing anything now, he creates situations where I am hurting him. I used force one afternoon when leaving to go out. I put my hand on the back of his neck/shoulders to give direction to his room to get his coat. He screamed and ran to his dad and said I was choking him. His dad instantly yelled at me.Everything is really at a peak right now with this whole situation and dad is in the mood not to deal with anything or accept there needs to be help. This episode, because of the outcome, has prompted the five year old to create more physical abuse lies. He realized that worked with his dad, you know the type( He gives him all the pepsi's, toys and candy our whole family would nutritional not need). This guy is is his hero. Well, the five year old went so far as to tell his teacher at school that his step mom choked him. For my other children's sake and the fact that everything else is just getting worse, I have chosen to be the over loving step mom, now overwhelmed, and leave. Nothing is being done to help him and Dad and I are not speaking. I am severely upset, dad thinks it will all pass. more

Resolved Question: How should "Romeo & Juliet" laws be written?

Here in the states, there is no distinction between a child predator and a teenage lover. As a conservative Christian, I find this morally outrageous and unacceptable. Some states are now enacting Romeo & Juliet legislation to prevent young people from being convicted by sociopathic parents. However without laws granting parents the power to prosecute predators, the sophisticated criminal element stands to gain a lot of victims. While some people know who they're getting involved with, not all do. Teenagers are at a financial, legal and physical disadvantage -- making them easy prey -- compared to more mature suitors. How can we word the law to solve both problems? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Idea: we could require teens under 18 (who are dating) to appear every 28 days in person at a police station and sign a statement declaring that they are 1) living at XX address with YY persons, 2) in a relationship with ZZ of AA address, and 3) not being abused -- with abuse spelled out for the legally disinclined. If a legal minor does not show up, a search warrant is authorized. This would demonstrate consent and safety to the public, removing any basis for charges and providing state interventions to resolve abusive situations...without legal action; failure to sign a consent doesn't prove one is being abused, but it means the law should investigate and demand a consent statement or a termination statement, providing escort back to family where necessary. A termination statement would immediately force the non-family resident to move out of the property, overriding standard eviction wait periods. In summary, parents would still be able to press charges against an offender, and young lovers would be immune to charges IF consent is recorded BEFORE THE FACT. I know it's not a wedding, but considering the circumstances, I think young people will be excited to accept the responsibility of seeing the popo first and regularly until they're adults. Plus, we can all rest easy knowing that our children are protected from overprotective parents...ya bunch of friggin corncob holders. If you want to date my daughter, I will go down to the furniture store and bring her home a bigger bed. You can move right in. We need more America in America, and the only way to get it is to have more America.Your insults have been reported. more

Resolved Question: Texas Polygamy Court Ruling?

Polygamy, wacky religious cult, church leader in jail, etc. All the signs are there that would indicate a scenario ripe for child abuse. The problem is that there needs to be evidence of the abuse. The government can't just arrest people and take their children away based on a perceived scenario. There are all kinds situations that could be perceived dangerous for children. Do we yank the 5 kids away from the single mother on welfare who lives in the inner city next to crack dealers and then prosecute her? Do we arrest the alcoholic father and bi-polar mother who both work 12 hours a day and obviously spend little time with their children? NO! OF COURSE NOT! We do that only if we have real evidence of the abuse. That means the kids either need to have signs of physical and/or emotional trauma (Cuts, bruises, swelling, welts, dispondent behavior, excessive nervousness, etc) or the kids need to come forward and accuse their parents of abusing them. Folks this America! Do you agree?If a girl under 18 is impregnated by an adult was she abused? Of course! The pregnancy is evidence of the abuse.The adult should be prosecuted to the fullest exent of the law. But, just because it can be shown that one or some of the children have been abused, doesn't give the state the right to imprison and/or prosecute where it can't be shown. That's basically guilt by association. What I don't understand is why it is so difficult to prosecute these people for engaging in polygamy. That is a legitimate crime and there seems to be plenty of evidence. more

Resolved Question: If you were abused as a child and repressed the memory, would you want to know?

What if something unspeakable had happened to you when you were very young, say a doctor or some trusted professional had touched you inappropriately but not really caused you any physical harm (no rape, in other words). You repressed the memory, or were just too young to remember it anyway. Would you want to recover that? Say the statute of limitations has run out or something, so you can't prosecute the scum. Finding out will only mean that you have to deal with the emotional trauma. Or you can continue along dumb and happy. What would you prefer?Just so everyone knows, I'm not talking about myself. I was just thinking on the way to work - I used to work with a lot of abused kids. I also have an aunt whose counselor convinced her she had repressed memories of her dad (my grandpa) sexually abusing her because she had a dream to that effect, but in reality it had never happened. It caused a great rift in the family. So just a hypothetical :-) Thanks for all the great answers! more

Resolved Question: Aside from the obvious what else falls under "child abuse" to you?

Besides physical and mental abuse of a child what else would you or do you consider child abuse. The government is trying to get involved in the way people parent a lot now. And although i do believe in "small" government where the government stays out of your everyday life; I kind of agree with some of the staps they are taking to protect the health of children. In NJ there is a town that will ticket you if you are smoking in the car with anyone under 18. I think it's a great idea considering what we now know about the effects of cigarette smoke. There is a movement to prosecute parents with morbidly obese children, again as long as it's not due to a medical condition then they should at least be fined and forced into some kind of classes ect. Just in the last 20 years we have learned so much new information about what causes sickness and truly what many of these products (cigarettes) or illnesses (obesity) can really do to you in the long run. Y not protect those who cant do it?I was that way when I was little. In 3rd grade (I was 8) I weighed 35 lbs. I was required to drink 3 ensure shakes a day. My body just couldnt retain calories. But there is a huge difference between having very thin kids and morbidly obese kids. It is much more work to get your kids 100lb + over their optimum weight. You need to feed them more and encourage them to do less. If you give your kids a well balanced diet and just let them run around like normal kids want to, and not let them be attached to tv or games then there is NO way aside from a medical condition that your child could be that fat. And obviously if there is a medical condition that your child has that can be backed up by their Dr. no one in the world would get charged with anything. Medical conditions are beyond a parents control, twinkies on the other hand are completely controlable.Also I wouldnt necessarily jail them or take their children away. But I think manditory educational classes about whatever it may be (smoking being fat ect.) should be required. Then if they do not complete the asigned course things may need to go further. more

Resolved Question: Is it normal for a state to prosecute with no physical evidence?

I know of a case where a man was accused of rapeing a child with no accuations of molesting or abuse.Even when the child was checked twice she was found to be untouched. But the state processed him as if the act happened! Rape in his state is penatration of the unwilling...How can they do this? He is waiting on his trial... more

Resolved Question: Why isn't it against the law to?

Don.t you think that mental and emotional abuse should be punishable by law? I ask the question because a friend of mine got out of a really bad emotionally and mentally abusive relationship, yet she can not press charges or anything else for the abuse..because they are no physical marks? Shouldn't there be some kind of way to "measure" the damage done, and therefore prosecute..we do it for children who suffer abuse from parents? more

Resolved Question: Don't you think ?

Don.t you think that mental and emaotional abuse should be punishable by law? I ask the question because a friend of mine got out of a really bad emotionally and mentally abusive relationship, yet she can not press charges or anything else for the abuse..because they are no physical marks? Shouldn't there be some kind of way to "measure" the damage done, and therefore prosecute..we do it for children who suffer abuse from parents? more

Resolved Question: Prosecute Entire Family for Sexual Abuse for 15 Years?

I'm a writer who has dealt with a lot pain stemming from child abuse -- sexual, physical, emotional, mental. I'm fine now..I walked out and am with my boyfriend (who by the way doesn't hurt me). My question is, now that I'm gone...should I prosecute my mother, father, and sister? They have been abusing me for more than 15 years. I'm scared to do this, but should they be brought to justice? -E more