So many times we hear that children who come from an abusive home often suffer long into their life, and many times (though not always) they continue the cycle of abuse. As children they learn from watching that violence is an acceptable way to express frustration, anger, and a entire range of other emotions. Hitting, kicking, beating- it's often times all they have ever come to know- so it's no mystery as to why they then grow up to be abusers themselves.
Now, not all do. Some do. But not all. And being abused as a child is not excuse for abusing a child when one grows up. A person is not destined to have to follow in the footsteps of their parents... we can be better. We can move forward, and stop the cycle- if we want too.
Sadly, it doesn't seem that Brandon Austill moved beyond the years of abuse he suffered, rather he continued in the violence towards his own child.
It would have started in 1994, with an appeal to the removal of several children from an abusive home, where two of the children were forced to sleep in a basement with standing water, the children had all received small injuries over the course of time, their physical health was neglected- and so on. Brandon Austill was 8 at that time. While the State had stepped in, offering a glimmering chance that this young child could beat the odds and find a place of peace... there were of course may legal battles to overcome.
Fast forward to Sept of this year, when Brandon Austill and his girlfriend had a baby girl, on Sept 9th.
Police say that four days later, Brandon began abusing the child- and she endured it until the end of Oct when he admitted to "smashing the infant's head against a bathroom sink and a dining room table. Police said Austill also bent the infant's leg until he heard it break and jolted the baby with a stun gun." The baby's injuries included a broken left tibia, broken left ulna, broken left femur, face fractures and two skull fractures.
In itself, it's a horrifying story of a helpless child, an infant only days old, being physically abused in the most horrid of ways. This isn't a case of "well I may have been angry and spanked a 10 year old too hard", or a case where the parent was just neglecting to take care of the child. No, Austill methodically beat this child, and in many of the news stories the "stun gun" is actually referred to as a "cattle prod". He bent her legs until he heard them snap. He went above and beyond what records show he himself might have endured as a child. One has to wonder what sort of rage could be behind such heinous acts of abuse and cruelty.
For those out there that may find themselves dealing with emotions that they can not handle, feeling the rage that may lead to the abuse of a child- or if you suspect that a child you know is being abused- please call for help. You can start by visiting Prevent Child Abuse America
A very big Hat Tip to Loadbroker
Categories: abused,
Now, not all do. Some do. But not all. And being abused as a child is not excuse for abusing a child when one grows up. A person is not destined to have to follow in the footsteps of their parents... we can be better. We can move forward, and stop the cycle- if we want too.
Sadly, it doesn't seem that Brandon Austill moved beyond the years of abuse he suffered, rather he continued in the violence towards his own child.
It would have started in 1994, with an appeal to the removal of several children from an abusive home, where two of the children were forced to sleep in a basement with standing water, the children had all received small injuries over the course of time, their physical health was neglected- and so on. Brandon Austill was 8 at that time. While the State had stepped in, offering a glimmering chance that this young child could beat the odds and find a place of peace... there were of course may legal battles to overcome.
The petition resulted from twenty-nine (29)separate referrals to DHS. According to the DHS case manager, there were terrible living conditions in the home, and the parents were not addressing the children’s physical and emotional problems. Specifically, the petition alleged that the home contained trash and “an excess of accumulated piles of dirty clothes.” Some of the children had received numerous small injuries over a long period of time. Tamika, the oldest child, was said to have an excess of responsibility in caring for the younger children. Also, Brandon and
Michaelwere said to be sleeping in the basement of the house where a hole in the wall had allowed standing water to form on the floor. The petition further stated that reasonable efforts to prevent removal had been made and that the parents refused referrals to parenting classes and individual counseling.
Fast forward to Sept of this year, when Brandon Austill and his girlfriend had a baby girl, on Sept 9th.
Police say that four days later, Brandon began abusing the child- and she endured it until the end of Oct when he admitted to "smashing the infant's head against a bathroom sink and a dining room table. Police said Austill also bent the infant's leg until he heard it break and jolted the baby with a stun gun." The baby's injuries included a broken left tibia, broken left ulna, broken left femur, face fractures and two skull fractures.
In itself, it's a horrifying story of a helpless child, an infant only days old, being physically abused in the most horrid of ways. This isn't a case of "well I may have been angry and spanked a 10 year old too hard", or a case where the parent was just neglecting to take care of the child. No, Austill methodically beat this child, and in many of the news stories the "stun gun" is actually referred to as a "cattle prod". He bent her legs until he heard them snap. He went above and beyond what records show he himself might have endured as a child. One has to wonder what sort of rage could be behind such heinous acts of abuse and cruelty.
For those out there that may find themselves dealing with emotions that they can not handle, feeling the rage that may lead to the abuse of a child- or if you suspect that a child you know is being abused- please call for help. You can start by visiting Prevent Child Abuse America
A very big Hat Tip to Loadbroker
Categories: abused,
Comments
~Ami