Two years ago, twenty-five year old Daniel Hernandez was arrested for brutally shaking his one month old son and severely injuring him. Since then, he had been free on bond. The agreement on which his freedom was based stipulated that he would not be with the boy. Now the child is dead and Hernandez is in jail once again.
After the 2005 incident, the child lived with Hernandez’s aunt. The mother, twenty-one year old Jessica Ann Emhoolah, was required to go to counseling and take parenting skills classes. She did everything that the court asked her to do and this past November the boy was returned to her care. All of the representatives of the various agencies involved in the case recommended that the child be returned to Emhoolah with the stipulation that Hernandez would not be allowed near him.
A few days ago, the boy was brought to a Houston area hospital by his mother suffering from a detached retina and severe abrasions to his head. He was then “life flighted” to a larger hospital where he was placed in intensive care. He died a week ago from severe trauma to his head. The father had been charged with injuring his son, but those charges will most probably be increased to murder. He could possibly get the death penalty.
State investigators had been to the house on several occasions to make sure that the child was being properly cared for and that Hernandez was not staying there. Too late, it turns out that Emhoolah was letting him live there in spite of his past violence and the court orders.
She has told police that she did leave the apartment with Hernandez and the child there at two o’clock in the morning. When she returned at eleven the same morning, she noticed the boy’s injuries but did not take him to the hospital until the next day. She has also been jailed.
In the past when I have reported on cases like this, I have asked my readers if they have any suggestions on how to stop this. This time I am going to make a suggestion that may or may not be a good one. In Singapore, convicted criminals are sentenced to jail and also severely beaten on the back with a large cane rod. The beating sometimes incapacitates the criminal for life.
I know that I am suggesting something that sounds very brutal and barbaric by our country’s standards. The reason that I have brought it up is that the child abuse that is occurring in our country on a daily basis is brutal and barbaric. There is very little crime in Singapore. It’s at least something to think about. Please feel free to comment.
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