Batesville, U.S.A. – 5.24.12

Posted: Thursday, May 31, 2012 10:27 am
By: Sabrina Bates, News Editor

In the last eight years at The Press office I have covered countless numbers of court cases involving the abuse, physical and sexual, of children in this very community.
I sat through two years of court appearances for a toddler named Austin Cash, whose parents eventually pleaded guilty to beating the child.
Austin suffered significant brain injuries to the point of where his life span was cut short by let’s say, 80 years. And no, that is not an exaggeration. Austin Cash will never live a long, normal, healthy life.
I have been to numerous court hearings involving men who have sexually abused children, most more than once, since I have started working at The Press office.
Those articles have appeared on the front page of our newspaper, most often with mug shots of those accused and sentenced for the crimes.
I can honestly say during all of those court appearances, I have never seen anyone from the community standing in the courtroom bearing signs seeking justice for those children.
I cannot recall seeing any letters to editor crying out for justice for those children.
Yet, those actions inflicted upon them will haunt them for the rest of their lives. From mental, emotional and social standpoints, these children who we are supposed to love and protect, suffered the greatest injustice that can be bestowed upon them.
Where was the outrage when Austin Cash’s parents appeared in Weakley County General Sessions Court while he was in a hospital bed struggling for life?
Where was the outrage when a nine-year-old girl was molested repeatedly by a “family friend?”
Where was the outrage when the infant who was only two days old and still in the hospital was raped by his father while his mother who had just given birth to her sat and watched?
Maybe social media has evolved in the last eight years to the point of where people are paying more attention. Word travels faster in today’s technological era than ever before.
I noticed on Facebook this week an effort from local people demanding justice for the four-month-old puppy that was tortured to death in Dresden last week.
That is an admirable effort. That puppy was defenseless and should never have been put through the torturous acts he suffered shortly before death.
Those acts that transpired were wrong on every level and could never be justified.
This news story has sparked such an outrage. Television news stations have devoted time and attention to the case involving the tortured puppy. People have publicly come forward to comment about the situation.
That is a good thing. It needs and deserves attention. Community members should cry out for justice.
My hope is in the future, the next case of physical or sexual abuse involving a child, sparks the same type of outrage and banning together on Facebook to demand justice for the victim.
Regrettably, there will be a next time. There will be another victim of child abuse in Weakley County. There will be another case involving the sexual abuse of a child in this county.
I ask, as a community, that you all keep that same level of passion and outrage for the next victim of abuse and come with me to the courthouse to face the accused on his day in court.
Let’s take cues from the emotions displayed on Facebook regarding the tortured puppy and use them to help protect our future – our children.

WCP 5.24.12

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