Given A Life, But No Voice

I’m an animal lover, hands down. In 41 years, I have never gone longer than a few months without an animal in my life. One of the many things I hope to pass down to my own children is a love for animals. So far, I can tell the younger one already does, but the jury’s still out on the older one. I’m working on it.

With that being said, what I have a lot of trouble wrapping my head around is how we have strong laws against animal abuse but can’t yet seem to find a unified policy when it comes to child abuse and neglect. I remember a video of two guys abusing a kitten going viral with the world calling for their heads (and rightly so), but now another child was recently found dead at the hands of his abusive mother and not a peep anywhere except for the LA Times.

On the front page of the California section on Thursday, September 15, 2016, one of the headlines reads, “Dead boy, 11, weighed just 34 pounds.” My heart sank. Again.

Let’s break down the article a little bit.

“The records show that Yonatan’s risk of abuse at home had been marked as ‘high’ four times from 2009 to 2012 by a program intended to guide social workers’ level of intervention.” The article continues, “The boy’s family had been the subject of six prior reports to DCFS…”

So:

1. The child’s risk of abuse was rated “high” four times in 3 years. Nothing was done.

2. The boy’s family had a history of being reported. Nothing was done.

Michael Vick, former NFL player, was found guilty of illegal dog-fighting and jailed for his crimes. Many, if not most, of the dogs found new homes and were given a second lease on life. Where was Yonatan’s second lease?

Back to the article.

“…although allegations of physical abuse regarding Yonatan were reported to both DCFS and police, no police investigation was launched” and in December 2011, the boy was found in the bathroom suffering from hypothermia and “again deemed to be at high risk of abuse” but, again, nothing was done.

On March 15, 2012 (just 3 months after the hypothermia incident), Yonatan “came to school with a black eye,” so DCFS and the cops were called but “no cases were opened.” Four days later, when Yonatan was seen grabbing whatever and as much food he could get his hands on, DCFS was called, again, but no case was opened calling the allegation “unfounded.”

I once discovered an owner keeping his or her cat in his or her car during the day and night. I anonymously called it in and the cat was immediately rescued, no questions asked.

Yonatan died in a fetal position, in a closet on the floor and weighing just 34 pounds. He was 11 years old. Who was his advocate? Who was his superhero? Who was around to tell him his life mattered and he was important enough to fight for?

I don’t want to come across as arrogant and that I have all the answers. I don’t. I know that the DCFS is overworked. I can’t imagine all the cases with which they have to deal. My comments and observations are merely to punctuate the imbalance in our society when we have clear laws to protect an animal but not for a child. I’m reminded of the case of Viola Vanclief who was placed in the home of Kiana Barker and her boyfriend, both convicted criminals. Kiana beat Viola to death. She was two. [1] Do you know of any animals who would be put in the home of a convicted animal abuser? I sure don’t. 

       These stories and situations are hard to accept. We can do better because we should want to.

1. USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism http://www.centerforhealthjournalism.org/2013/12/24/series-details-abuse-california-foster-care-system Accessed 15 Sept. 2016